Manipur Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar on Wednesday raised concerns over the visit of BJP North East in-charge Sambit Patra to the state, questioning whether it was intended to resolve the ongoing leadership crisis. “It is unfortunate that BJP leaders are unable to select their own chief minister or convene an assembly session. What is Patra’s purpose here? Has he come to break the state apart?” Lokeshwar said. He added that Patra should have led discussions with BJP MLAs to appoint a new chief minister.
The former Speaker further criticized the declaration of the assembly session as “null and void,” claiming such a move is unprecedented. Lokeshwar warned that the imposition of President’s Rule would expose internal conflicts within the BJP-led government. Sambit Patra met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan earlier in the day, following a meeting on Tuesday amid the political turmoil after former Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9.
The violence-hit state has been in turmoil since May 2023, with ethnic clashes between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kuki-Zo groups claiming over 250 lives and leaving thousands homeless.
