With a younger face at helm, Congress revamps Manipur team

Two weeks after Sonia Gandhi initiated the revamp in states where Congress lost elections, Congress on Wednesday announced a new team for Manipur with a younger face at the helm and rewarding those with loyalty to the organisation.

Keisham Megchandra Singh, a 48-year-old four-time MLA, has been named the new party chief in Manipur who will be helped by a team of four Working Presidents, veterans who worked in the party.

The Working Presidents are T Manga Vaiphei, Mohd Fajur Rahim, Victor Keishing and Kh Devabrata Singh.

Th. Lokeshwar Singh has been appointed as the new Treasurer while five Vice Presidents, including a woman L Tilotama, have been named. The other Vice Presidents are Vidyapati Senjam, Alfred K Arthur, Hareshwar Goshwami and Lamtinghang Haokip, who is in his thirties.

A 14-member Executive Committee has also been named which includes former Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and former party chief N Loken Singh.

Sources said the choice of Megchandra Singh and leaders like Haokip showed that the party is banking on the youth to power it back to glory. Loyalty to the party and work in organisation were the main criteria while choosing the new team, sources said.

“There has to be a generational shift. At the same time, veteran organisational people are also there in the team. We are going in for youth plus experience,” a senior leader said.

Loken Singh had on March 15 submitted his resignation, hours after Sonia sought the resignations of party chiefs of five states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand.

The new team was announced after party’s Senior Observer Jairam Ramesh and in-charge Bhakta Charan Das submitted a report to Sonia, which she had sought.

Sources said the new teams for the other four states will be announced soon.

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