The battle line is drawn. BJP versus the Congress. One which has been in power for the third consecutive term and the other trying to ride the Modi wave with Assam already opening the door and becoming the first North East State to have a BJP Government. Making things more interesting is the fact that two Congress MLAs have quit the party and all things more than indicate that the resignations have to do with the battle line drawn up between the Congress and BJP. So far only Y Erabot has formally joined the BJP but it should be apparent that N Biren from Heingang Assembly Constituency must have his eyes set on the BJP. On the other hand, supporters of Tadubi AC MLA Francis Ngajokpa have started piling the pressure on him to quit the Congress and join any other political party of his choice. The likelihood that the choice might be the BJP is high. TTrue four sitting MLAs of the Trinamool Congress recently joined the Congress and while this will surely strengthen the party, this can also mean giving the cold shoulder to the former Congress candidates who contested the Assembly polls unsuccessfully. What if these former Congress candidates decide to contest the election, regardless of whether they are given the party’s ticket or not. Uncomfortable it will be for the party which has ruled the State for the last three terms. Whatever it is, the people can surely expect to see interesting days ahead and already all have seen the witty exchange of words between Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam and O Joy of the BJP.
More such verbal exchange can be expected in the days to come. This is what will make the next Assembly election all that more interesting. The important question at this point is however the respective stand of the two political parties on some of the pressing issues besieging the State. The stand of the Congress seems clear on the demand to enact a Bill to check the inflow of non-local people into the State and while the BJP seems to back this stand, it remains to be seen how it will respond when a Bill is passed and referred to the Centre for its enactment. How about the stand of the two political parties to the campaign that the Meiteis/Meeteis be included in the Scheduled Tribe list ? So far no official word has come from these two political parties, but it will not be long when they have to take a stand and this is what will be interesting to watch. How about the Framework Agreement inked between the Centre and the NSCN (IM) last year ? Maybe this is where the Congress will attempt to deliver blows on the BJP, reminding the people that the words ‘ceasefire without territorial limits’ were inserted when the BJP was in power at Delhi while the BJP may hit back with the assertion that there are some Congress leaders who had backed the demand for Naga integration some time back. Many issues and surely the people can expect to see some interesting debates in the days ahead.
Source: The Sangai Express
