In jolt to Nitish Kumar, five of six JD(U) MLAs in Manipur merge with BJP

Days after Janata Dal (United) parted ways with BJP in Bihar, Nitish Kumar-led party got a jolt in Manipur when five out of its six MLAs merged with ruling BJP.

The merger took place amid reports that JD (U) was planning to quit the BJP government in Manipur in view of the new political equation in Bihar and Nitish Kumar's national ambition in 2024.

This increased BJP's tally in Manipur to 37 in the Assembly of 60.

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Sources said the five MLAs were supposed to fly to Patna on Friday to take part in the national executive meeting of JD (U), which began on Saturday. But they met Manipur Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh on Friday and submitted a letter expressing their desire to merge with BJP.

A bulletin issued by the Speaker said that he was pleased to accept the merger of the five MLAs - Khumukcham Joykishan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Mohammad Asab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar and LM Khaute - with BJP legislature party under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

Sources said the merger is likely to be validated as the number is more than two thirds of JD (U)'s tally in the Assembly. The seventh MLA is also likely to follow suit, sources said.

Read | Is it constitutional: Nitish on JD(U)'s Manipur setback

In the Assembly elections held in February-March in Manipur, BJP had won absolute majority with 32 seats while National People's Party (NPP), another ally of the NDA, emerged second with seven seats. JD (U) won six out of 38 seats it contested while Congress came fourth with just five seats. JD (U) extended its support to N Biren Singh government even as BJP got absolute majority. BJP, however, did not accept NPP's offer to be part of the government.

Afaque Ahamed Khan, JD(U) general secretary and in-charge of Northeast, told DH he was busy in the party's national executive meeting in Patna. "I will give a reaction after the meeting," he said.

Congress leader in Manipur, Ningombam Bupenda Meitei called the development unconstitutional. "This is not only unconstitutional, but the act also attracts disqualification under the Constitution of India. There will be a move in the High Court to disqualify them. Save the Constitution, Save Democracy," Meitei tweeted.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh and president of Manipur BJP, Sharda Devi welcomed the five MLAs on Saturday. "This merger shows the love and trust entrusted by people in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda," Singh said.

This was, in fact, the second such jolt for JD (U) in the Northeast since December 2020 when six out of seven MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh defected to ruling BJP. The seventh legislator also joined BJP later.