IMPHAL, April 16: The Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Home Minister Gaikhangam have begun consultations with leaders of the AICC high command on the composition of the state ministry and state PCC in New Delhi today.
Both the state Chief Minister and the Home Minister are in the national capital to attend the Chief Ministers’ conference on Internal Security. The state Chief Secretary DS Poonia, IAS and DGP Ratnakar Baral, IPS are also attending the meet.
According to informed sources, the general secretary in charge of Manipur Luzinho Falerio reached New Delhi today from his hometown in Goa for the consultations.
Besides the composition of the Ibobi led ministry, the question of who should be the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee is gaining importance in view of the need for maintaining ethnic equilibrium in the state.
Although, the Chief Minister has floated the name of T Mangibabu of Thanga constituency for the coveted post of the MPCC chief the idea of nominating a person from the Kuki-Chin-Mizo group is gaining ground as the posts of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister had already gone to a Meitei and a Naga.
According to sources, a MPCC president in the person of a Kuki-Chin-Mizo would be a logical conclusion in the present set-up.
Names doing the rounds from the CM camp are Ngamthang Haokip and Thangso Baite, while in the Gaikhangam camp TN Haokip is the front-runner. Among the Nagas, the names of Francis Ngajokpa and RK Theko are being mentioned for the post.
While the Home Minister Gaikhangam is pitting for Victor Keishing, the son of veteran leader Rishang Keishing from Ukhrul district, the importance of Senapati district could not be ruled out easily given the unrest among the Nagas.
The Naga civil society had been deeply troubled by the recent utterances of the Home Minister Gaikhangam with reference to the institution of a supra-state body and it has drawn sharp criticism from several Naga groups.