IMPHAL, April 19: The state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has finally met the AICC President Sonia Gandhi today at 11 am at her 10 Janpath, New Delhi and held discussions on the possible composition of his ministry, according to informed sources.
It may be recalled here that the MPCC chief and Home Minister Gaikhangam had already met the AICC chief on April 16 and had wide ranging discussions from ministry composition and of a new PCC chief to the functioning of the Home department.
The Chief Minister has reportedly asked by Sonia Gandhi to submit a proposal list of ministers duly signed by him and the Home Minister Gaikhangam. The AICC president had earlier refused to meet them separately or to entertain separate proposals, according to the sources.
Both of them had met the Prime Minister Manmohon Singh and a host of Central leaders including the AICC Manipur incharge Luzinho Falerio.
The sources said, after the Chief Minister met the AICC president separately Home Minister Gaikhangam was furious and had booked tickets for his return to Imphal tomorrow. But a rapprochement was reportedly made and the two state leaders would jointly meet Sonia Gandhi tomorrow.
Meanwhile, speculations are ripe on the composition of the third Ibobi ministry and who would be the new PCC chief. Informed sources said, a person from the Kuki-Chin-Mizo group would be logical conclusion taking into consideration the ethnic composition of the state.
With a Ibobi loyalist in the Speaker’s chair, Gaikhangam is pressing hard for one his nominees for the post of PCC chief, sources added.
The broad agreement on the composition of the ministry is seven from Ibobi camp and five from the Gaikhangam camp. The Chief Minister has already three in the council of ministers counting him and the Debendra-Phungzathang duo, while Gaikhangam has one. So, the remaining eight seats would be equally divided between the two camps, the sources added.