Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

'Leader' snubs, rebels fume: Imphal, Jan 27: In what could be a significant gesture, Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident Congress MLAs as their leader has snubbed the rebel camp. With Debendra refusing to heed the call to come to Delhi on Sunday and instead go to Jiribam, the rebel MLAs are literally fuming. In the back drop of the new development, the rebel MLAs have convened an emergency meeting on Monday. Some senior leaders of the dissident group noted that the failure of Thoudam Debendra to respond to the call of the AICC to come to Delhi is tantamount to humiliating and betraying the rebel MLAs. "He will certainly reap the outcome of his act of betrayal very soon," they asserted. The alleged act of Debendra to concede to the reported enticement of the Chief Minister with the portfolio of Finance Minister and various other benefits amount to cheating the people of Manipur, the rebel MLAs fumed. The Law Minister...

Rebel Cong MLAs strike confident pose: Imphal, Dec 30: Striking a confident pose, the dissident Congress MLAs who have been demanding a change in the leadership of the Congress Legislature Party have claimed that the AICC may soon take a decision in their favour within the next couple of days. The rebel MLAs, who have raised the banner of revolt against the leadership of Chief Minister O Ibobi for the last few months claim the support of 19 MLAs out of the 31 Congress MLAs in the House of 60. Apart from the deteriorating law and order situation, the rebel MLAs have launched the anti-Ibobi drive on the 'total failure to govern' plank. Significantly, the claim of the rebel MLAs that the AICC may soon take a decision within the next couple of days came after the AICC secretary in charge of North East Prithiviraj Chauhan submitted his report to the AICC leadership after his visit to the State about two weeks back. Apart from getting a first hand account of the law and order situati...

Chauhan leaves Imphal, no comments on regime change: Imphal, Dec 13: Union Minister of State and AICC general secretary north east in-charge Prithivi Raj Chauhan left Imphal on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to the state, making no comments on the question of regime change which rebel Congress MLAs are demanding. Even though he refused to comment on the crisis, replying to questions raised by journalists at the concluding part of the inspection, Chauhan said, "I am satisfied with the works progress". However, he refused to comment on the main purpose of his visit to the state, the question of replacement of Ibobi as chief minister of Manipur. Officially Chauhan came to Imphal to inspect the status of the implementation of works taken up in the state with Central funds under the Prime Minister`s package. After his return to New Delhi he is scheduled to visit other states of the country where projects were taken up under the same package of the Prime Minister, an...

Points heard, Chauhan readies for Delhi: Imphal, Dec 12: For the second day on Wednesday, AICC general secretary and Northeast in-charge Prithiviraj Chauhan who is currently here as a Central Observer of the party to get first hand account of the crisis within CLP continued to meet CLP members, office bearers of the party and other frontal organisations to hear their opinion on the issue. Later in the evening, Chauhan called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan to discuss the political development in the state. The Central Observer would be leaving Imphal for Delhi on Thursday to submit the report of his visit to the state with the High Command of the AICC. After the yesterday’s meeting with CLP members individually at Hotel Imphal till 10 pm, Chauhan continued his meeting with other CLP members who were left to hear the opinion on the issue of leadership crisis within CLP since 9.30 am today. According to information received by the press, the Central Observer asked each of the CLP members i...

Chauhan arrives, starts one to one meet with CLP members: Imphal, Dec 11: AICC general secretary in charge of the North East and Union Minister of State in the PMO, Prithiviraj Chauhan who arrived at Imphal on Tuesday to get a first hand account of the revolt raised by some dissident Congress MLAs against the leadership of O Ibobi has started meeting the CLP members individually to hear their opinion. Chauhan who was deputed as an Observer by the AICC will submit his report on reaching Delhi. Chauhan along with Lok Sabha MP Dr T Meinya and executive member of the MPCC (I) L Manglem landed at Tulihal airport on Tuesday at 2 pm. The team was received by a large number of Congress men including MPCC (I) president Gaikhangam, Ministers, MLAs, party workers and members of the Seva Dal. On his arrival, Chauhan called on the Governor at Raj Bhawan along with Gaikhangam. After a short break at Raj Bhawan, Chauhan then proceeded to RIMS to look into the development works being taken up there. L...

Dissident MLAs returning Saturday, Chauhan coming on Dec 11: Imphal, Dec 7: Following days of camping in New Delhi to present their case to AICC leaders in their oust Ibobi campaign, most of the rebel MLAs will touch down at Tulihal airport tomorrow (Saturday). After meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday (Thursday), the rebel MLAs met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi today (Friday) at about 11 am and made their stand against the continued leadership of O Ibobi clear. Sonia Gandhi is also the Chairperson of the UPA. The rebel MLAs were led by senior Congressman, Th Debendra and during their meeting with Sonia Gandhi, they gave a detailed account of the deteriorating law and order situation in the State, the 'total flop' of the administration, tardy development works as well as the growing dissatisfaction among the Congress workers in the MPCC (I) against the Chief Minister's leadership. Though details of what were discussed at the meeting were not disclosed, the dissiden...

Rebels meet PM on shake-up: Imphal, Dec 6 : The rebel Congress MLAs who have been camping at Delhi for more than a month in their campaign to remove O Ibobi from the post of Chief Ministership, called on the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday for an Ordinance so as to stall the delimitation exercise besides sustaining their oust-Ibobi move. Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident group as their leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing called on Dr Manmohan Singh at about 12.30 pm and apprised the Prime Minister of the prevailing political imbroglio within the CLP. The two senior Congress leaders reportedly told the Prime Minister that replacing O Ibobi with another leader as Chief Minister of Manipur will be able to end the protracted political impasse. Acknowledging the stance of the dissident group and considering the reports culled from different quarters, Dr Manmohan Singh entrusted the party's North East in-charge P...