Eight Manipur Ministers Likely to Quit Congress and Join BJP ahead of Assembly Elections

IMPHAL:

In the latest saga of turnout politicians defecting from their party to join the ruling saffron party, eight prominent Manipur Congress politicians have resigned ahead of the Manipur Assembly Elections. 

The eight Manipuri leaders are most likely to take membership of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as per intel from varied sources. 

Furthermore, Govindas Konthoujam, the president of the State Congress, has also resigned. In December 2020, he was named chief of the Manipur unit. 

"Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Govindas Konthoujam has resigned from his post. At least 8 Congress MLAs will join the BJP today: Sources," tweeted ANI. 

Of late, there has been a wave of opposition party leaders defecting to the party in power - the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

Reacting to the recent trend amongst politicians quitting Congress to join the BJP, Congress President Rahul Gandhi termed those leaders to defected to the BJP as 'scared politicians.' The third generation dynast heading the Grand Old Party of India was of the opinion that Congress Party is only open to brave politicians. 

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi virtually warned the party's social media volunteers on Friday that the party needs only bold members, not those who are afraid of the BJP. The Congress President remarked that the party was looking for courageous people and that those who were afraid of facing reality and the BJP were free to leave and join the RSS. 

Assam has lately seen powerful figures from the Congress party join the BJP. After a falling out with Rahul Gandhi, the current Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, defected to the BJP in 2016, resulting in the Congress being voted out of power and the BJP taking control in the state for the first time in history. 

Rupjyoti Kurmi, a former Congress MLA from Mariani Constituency, just joined the BJP, bringing with him over 90% of the Congress workers, thereby freeing his constituency from the clutches of the grand old party. Before tendering his resignation papers, the four-time MLA publicly chastised and raged at some Assam Congress leaders, including the party's president, Ripun Bora. He blamed the party's recent poll setbacks completely on APCC president Bora. Juri Sarma Bordoloi, the former president of the Guwahati city district Congress and a former Mahila Congress national office-bearer, also joined the BJP on the same day Kurmi resigned as an MLA. Bordoloi said that around 100 of her supporters opted to quit the party with her. Juri Sarma Bordoloi expressed her displeasure with the party's leadership, stating it had turned into a haven for failed promises. Dr. Juri went on to explain that the Congress Party is similarly conflicted over the CAA. 

Also Read - Congress is for Fearless People, those who are Scared can Join RSS, says Rahul Gandhi

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