GUWAHATI: The political drama in Karnataka has opened up the Pandora’s Box in the Northeast.
The Congress in Manipur on Friday staked claim to form the government on the ground that it had emerged as the single largest party by winning 28 of the state’s 60 seats in last year’s election. In Meghalaya, the Congress submitted a representation to the Raj Bhavan in the absence of Governor Ganga Prasad arguing as to why the party should not be given a chance to form the government as it was the single largest party in this year’s election.
Tempers are being frayed in Nagaland too where the Naga People’s Front (NPF) was snubbed by Governor PB Acharya even after it emerged as the single largest party.
Former Chief Minister TR Zeliang tweeted: “The NPF party will stake claim before the governor to form the government on the merit of our case as being the single largest party. Why should different laws be applied in different states on a same matter”?
Meghalaya Congress chief Celestine Lyngdoh told The New Indian Express: “We have asked as to why we, as in Karnataka, should not be given a chance to form the government as we were the single largest party. Since the governor is out of station, a memorandum was submitted to Raj Bhavan by some of our party workers”.
Meanwhile, accompanied by a group of Congress leaders, former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Friday met the acting Governor Jagdish Mukhi and staked claim to form the government.
“We demanded the dismissal of the BJP-led coalition government. We had secured 28 seats but denying us a chance to form the government, the governor invited BJP, which bagged only 21 seats, to form the government,” Ibobi told reporters.
Mukhi, the Assam Governor, reportedly told the Congress team that he would look into their memorandum. He is officiating as the acting governor as the incumbent, Najma Heptulla, is out of station on leave.
Ibobi said, if invited, he would prove his majority. Ironically, several Congress MLAs have since defected to the BJP. Chief Minister N Biren Singh refused to give a comment on the Karnataka developments saying “It is a Constitutional matter and I will not like to comment on it”.