GUWAHATI: The ruling BJP in Manipur is faced with its maiden coalition trouble after a minister from ally National People’s Party (NPP), resigned on Saturday citing government interference in the ministry.
The State’s health and family welfare minister L Jayantakumar Singh, who also holds three other important portfolios, was angry over undue “interferences to my (Singh’s) authority”.
Recently, the State government suspended the director of health and family welfare department allegedly without consulting Jayantakumar. He resigned reportedly in protest against the arbitrary action. In his resignation letter submitted to Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday, Jayantakumar wrote, “…With certain enthusiasm, I have been taking the pain of building up certain visions for the portfolios assigned to me. However, it is rueful to get myself acknowledge that I may not be able to get the visions materialised as expected since there have been so many interferences to my authority and image of being a minister. I am, therefore, taking this step to tender my resignation…”
The minister, who attended an official programme in Imphal on Saturday, was not available for comments. Calls made to him went unanswered. The development, which came barely a month after the government formation, reportedly forced the CM rush to the national capital to seek guidance.
However, a source close to the CM denied the reports and said he had left for Odisha to attend BJP’s National Executive meeting. The CM is likely to take a call on the minister’s resignation once he returns. The BJP had formed the government in Manipur last month with support from allies National People’s Party (NPP), Naga People’s Front (NPF), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) besides a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA, an Independent and a Congress MLA who defected to the saffron party.
In the March polls, Congress had emerged as the single largest party winning 28 seats, followed by BJP-21, NPP-four, NPF-four, LJP-one, TMC-one besides an Independent. The coalition government has the support of 33 MLAs in the 60-member House. Jayantakumar and the three other NPP MLAs were inducted into the ministry with one being appointed as deputy chief minister.