Congress suffers blow in Manipur as veteran leader joins BJP

The ruling Congress in Manipur suffered a major blow on Monday when veteran Congress legislator and former minister Yumkham Erabot Singh (77) joined the BJP along with all his constituency supporters in Imphal.

Erabot had quit the party last Saturday. Erabot has tendered his resignation from the state legislative Assembly as well.

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday expelled him from the general membership of the party for six years. Ever since Erabot quit the Congress, there were speculations of him joining the BJP which wants to throw out the 15-year-old Congress government in Manipur in the Assembly polls next year.

Erabot is a known adversary of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and it was between 2010 and 2012 when Erabot almost snatched the chief minister’s chair from
Ibobi.

After winning the previous Assembly polls in 2012, Ibobi was able to isolate Erabot in the party.