Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra Singh (centre) says his party is mulling legal action.
Credit: X/@meghachandra_k
Guwahati, DHNS: The Opposition Congress in Manipur on Wednesday said it was planning to move the court as the ruling BJP remained undecided about the next chief minister, pushing the conflict-torn state towards President's rule.
"We are consulting legal experts on the entire issue and may move the court as per their suggestions," Keisham Meghachandra Singh, president of the Manipur unit of Congress told reporters in Imphal.
Singh's comment came on a day Manipur was headed towards President's rule as the six-month gap between two sessions of the assembly lapsed on Wednesday.
"As per the Constitutional provisions, the Governor has to recommend to the Centre for President's rule if the state fails to convene a session of the assembly within six months. But, the six-month gap ended today but we have not seen any move from the Governor. So, we are consulting lawyers for the next step," said another Congress leader.
BJP's in-charge of Manipur, Sambit Patra met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday morning but did not disclose anything about the party's next step.
Patra has been camping in Manipur since Sunday when Biren Singh tendered his resignation soon after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
The Governor asked Biren to remain as caretaker till 'alternative arrangements' were made. Since then, Patra met the MLAs and contenders for the CM post and tried to decide on a consensus candidate to avoid the President's rule. Biren quit after Congress threatened to move a no-confidence motion against his government on February 10.
The assembly session was scheduled for February 10, but the Governor on Sunday declared his order for summoning the assembly session 'null and void'.
A BJP MLA on Wednesday said the decision about the next CM is to be taken by the Centre based on inputs provided by Patra. "The decision is likely after PM Narendra Modi returns from the US," he said.
The Congress and BJP's allies, National People's Party and Naga People's Front, are against the President's rule saying Manipur needs a popular government to resolve the conflict.