Cabinet reshuffle likely to be limited to a few ministers
IMPHAL, April 7: Even though both the State Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister who have been in the National capital since April 5 were unable to meet All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the demands of the dissident MLAs, sources said the demand for a cabinet reshuffle is likely to affect only a few ministers, if at all.
According to a reliable source, the leaders, however, met with AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi today. The Chief Minister and his team is likely to return tomorrow.
It said both Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam were unable to meet Sonia Gandhi till this late evening as the AICC president has been in Assam since April 4 for election campaigning.
The two State leaders also managed to meet the party’s Manipur in charge Narayan Swami only today, after his return from Puducherry, and discussed the demands of the dissident MLAs, informed the source.
It is also learnt that the demand of the dissident MLAs to reshuffle the entire cabinet leaving only the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister and to replace the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly will not be entirely fulfilled.
At the most only five ministers could be replaced, it said.
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare minister Phungzathang Tonsing was also called in by the State leaders in the national capital today, the source said.
Soon after his arrival, Tonsing accompanied Chief Minister Ibobi, Deputy CM Gaikhangam and MPCC president TN Haokip to meet AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi. The meeting was also attended by Narayan Swami, according to the source.
The source also said that a solution will be brought late evening to the issue regarding the dissident group in the party during the meeting between the AICC leaders and MPCC leaders.
It may be mentioned that TN Haokip has been in the national capital since April 4.