As the state Assembly election draws closer, legislators continue to desert the ruling Congress with former minister and senior MLA Francis Ngajokpa tendering his resignation both from the membership of the party as well from the legislative Assembly today.
Manipur PCC president T N Haokip accepted the resignation
of Francis.
Giving reasons for his resignation Ngajokpa, who was dropped from the Ibobi Singh council of ministers in the reshuffle in April this year, said he took the decision to quit the Congress acting on his own considering the wishes of his supporters.
On Tuesday his supporters held a meeting to mount pressure on Francis to quit the Congress and contest the next state Assembly election on the ticket of a non-Congress party.
Francis is the third former minister in Ibobi Singh government and sitting Congress legislator to leave Congress. The other two are Yumkham Erabot Singh and N. Biren Singh.
While Erabot Singh already joined the BJP, Biren Singh and Francis are yet to join any party. While Biren Singh is expected to join the BJP in coming days Francis is yet to decide on his next party.
As a part of the exodus senior Congress leader Kh. Loken Singh left the Congress and he will be given a warm reception by the BJP tomorrow.
Reacting to the latest resignation the MPCC president said number of MLAs joining the Congress outnumbered those leaving his party.
“I’ll be back,” 49-Tadubi (ST) Assembly constituency MLA Francis told the Assembly official who received his resignation letter.
Francis’ resignation letter was received by a subordinate of the Assembly secretary, as the secretary was absent.
From the Assembly secretariat, Francis went to Congress Bhavan to submit his resignation letter. Francis said “it is unfortunate that I’m meeting TN Haokip in his office chamber for the first time since he became the party president on my last day in the party.”
“I’m not against the Congress, but against leaders of the party,” he said adding he served the party since 1985 in various capacities including as a general secretary.
Speaking to media persons at his Lamphel quarter, Francis said “I prefer a national party.”
He hopes to come back as the representative of the people with support from the public of Tadubi A/C.
Source: Imphal Free Press
