IMPHAL March 3: His basic mission in New Delhi is for a change of guard in the CLP leadership and not for his personal cause, asserts Commerce & Industries Minister Y Erabot Singh.
Dissident Congress leader Erabot Singh is seeking re-election from Wangkhei assembly constituency. His main rival is Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s nephew Okram Henry of MSCP.
Erabot returned to Imphal today by an early morning Indigo flight, after holding hectic parleys with a number of AICC leaders.
Dismissing speculations on his New Delhi mission Erabot Singh said, ‘I did not go to New Delhi to seek blessings from the AICC high command.’
Following a India Today report last month, speculations are ripe in Imphal about a change of guard in the state CLP leadership and Yumkham Erabot as the main contender against Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
Talking to IFP over phone Erabot said, ‘I have met some AICC leaders and have impressed upon them the need for change in the leadership in the interest of Manipur. I have apprised them on the sorry state of affairs in the state.’
He reportedly met AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi yesterday in the AICC office. J Dwivedi is a close confidant of the Gandhi family and one of the four Congress leaders who looked after party affairs during Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s treatment abroad a few months back.
AICC Manipur incharge Eduardo Falerio is away in his home state Goa for state assembly elections there.
State Congress chief Gaikhangam had earlier stated that, there is no leadership crisis in the CLP as being speculated in a section of the media. Gaikhangam returned to Imphal on Wednesday after meeting AICC leaders in New Delhi.
Informed sources here said, Gaikhangam could be a serious contender for the top post and even Yumkham Erabot may support him before he throws in his hat in the ring.
Gaikhangam resigned in July 2007 from the Okram Ibobi led SPF government in protest against the failure of Chief Minister O Ibobi to expand the SPF Ministry even after three months of swearing in and the alleged inability to maintain any level of transparency.