After Arunachal, Uttarakhand, crisis now surfaces in Manipur

After Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, a political crisis is now looming over the Congress Government in Manipur, where 25 dissident party legislators are demanding a reshuffle of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's cabinet.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the Congress had bagged 42 seats in the 60 seat Manipur Assembly. Their strength went up to 47 after five MLAs from Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) joined Congress on April 3, 2014

The Congress dissidents have served an ultimatum to Ibobi Singh, asking him to either induct them in the ministry or face consequences. The dissidents have been demanding a major reshuffle for months so that they could be inducted into the cabinet.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has summoned Ibobi Singh to New Delhi for discussions.

According to sources, the dissidents have hinted they may join the BJP, if their demands were not met.

Sonia Gandhi has reportedly taken a serious note of the demands of the dissidents, whose number is said to be increasing.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, while criticising imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, had yesterday hinted that the saffron party's next target could be Manipur.

Manipur is expected to go to polls in February 2017.