IMPHAL, 3 Sep: The five JD (U) MLAs who joined the ruling BJP in Manipur were given a warm reception by Chief Minister N Biren Singh and state president of the saffron party A Sharda Devi in Delhi on Saturday.
Welcoming them, Biren Singh said on his official Facebook page that in the last few years, MLAs and significant personalities have been supporting the BJP.
“This shows the love and trust entrusted by the people in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and party president JP Nadda,” he posted on social media.
A fuming JD (U) said it will move the high court on the defection.
State JD (U) president Ksh Biren said the party will seek disqualification of the five MLAs as “their move is in violation of the 10th schedule of the Constitution.”
The JD (U) had won six seats in the March state election, it’s highest so far. With the latest development, it is left with just one MLA, Md Abdul Nasir, who too has rushed to Delhi. His future course of action is yet to be known.
Following the defection of the JD (U) MLAs, the strength of the BJP in the 60-member House has now increased to 37.
Khumukcham Joykishan, a prominent young face in the political circles in Manipur, who is among whose who defected, was a former BJP MLA and had resigned from the party in 2016 to join the Congress. He had joined the JD (U) in January this year, two months before the assembly polls.
Three others – Thangjam Arunkumar, former director general of police LM Khaute and Ng Sanate – are first-time legislators.
The five JD (U) MLAs joined the BJP on Friday evening. The development comes as an embarrassment for the party which is holding its national executive in Patna and trying to project Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, its de facto leader, for a bigger role in national politics.
Kumar on Saturday expressed outrage over the defection and questioned the propriety and constitutionality of the alleged poaching by the BJP, his former ally, with which he broke ties about a month ago. (PTI)
