Tougher times ahead for Ibobi

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL, Sept 7: With the resigtion of the four opposition MLAs of ga People’s Front, and the mounting pressure on the 16 tribal ministers and MLAs to resign, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi who is aiming a fourth consecutive term is now finding himself amidst trouble.

Ibobi’s detractors and aspirants for the ministerial berths have started using the present ferment among the tribals to sandbag his leadership saying that he has failed to exercise impartiality in maintaining the delicate commul balance.

The elected tribal representatives know that it is something they cannot ignore since the next elections are not far off. During the August 31 night mayhem in some parts of Churachandpur and Sepati districts all houses of the tribal ministers and MLAs were burned down and police and other forces could do precious nothing to save the houses and properties. If they ignore the resigtion notice now they will be committing a political suicide in the next elections likely to be held sometime in February 2015.

The dissidents in the ruling Congress have suddenly found a rare chance to renew their ouster campaign. Time and again they had launched the campaign. However Ibobi always succeeded in margilizing them. The ruling Congress has 48 MLAs in the 60 member House and most of them support the chief minister for many reasons. It was assumed that Ibobi could complete the present term and it was likely that he could come back for the fourth time as the chief minister if the party mages to survive the BJP wave. But with the new threat from the tribal students the fate of the chief minister is uncertain.