Manipur CM Ibobi Singh set to resign

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is set to resign after he failed to muster the required numbers to form a Congress government. Governor Najma Heptulla has asked him to step down, and the BJP is now set to form the government, informed sources said on Monday.

Though the Congress claims it enjoys the supports of the four National People's Party MLAs, Vivekraj Wangkhem of the NPP maintained his party is supporting the BJP to form government.

"Our party and elected members have extended support to the BJP in the formation of the ministry," he said.

Wangkhem also said that the party's earlier written assurance to the Congress is invalidated.

The stand of the party is that it will support the BJP, he added.

While the Congress has 28 elected members, the BJP which secured 21 has increased its tally to 32 as all other parties and the lone independent including one Congress MLA have extended support to it.

Governor Heptulla is likely to invite the BJP leaders to form the government.

The BJP General Secretaries, Ram Madhav, Prahlad Singh Patel and the Assam Finance Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the party enjoys support of 32 MLAs.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was pinning his hope on the support of the 4 MLAs of the NPP.

--IANS

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