Congress MLA spotted with BJP team that met Manipur governor

IMPHAL: The BJP and Congress met governor Najma Heptullah on Sunday and staked claim to form the government. T Robindro Singh, who was elected on a Trinamool ticket, was with the BJP team which met the governor. Congress MLA Shyam Kumar Singh too was present, although his name doesn't figure on the list of MLAs backing BJP, inviting allegations of the saffron party trying to split Congress.
Independent MLA Ashab was flown back to Guwahati amid high drama at Imphal airport, sources said. The drama began around noon when Ashab, elected from Jiribam bordering Cachar district of Assam, landed at Imphal airport from Guwahati, accompanied by Congress minister Abdul Nasir.
According to Nasir, BJP MLA Biswajit Singh was waiting with CISF officials on the tarmac. He alleged that Biswajit took Ashab away with the help of CISF officials. Security personnel at the airport said Ashab, after seeing the tussle between Biswajit and Nasir, said he wanted to return to Guwahati. He was flown back on a chartered aircraft.
AICC general secretary CP Joshi alleged that Ashab's "detention" by CISF was illegal and there was no bigger violation of democracy. "The Centre used the state machinery to sabotage democracy in Manipur," he lamented. CISF refused to comment on Joshi's allegation. Bharatiya Janata Party described Joshi's comments as baseless.
Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Ram Madhav said, "We will prove our majority in the House. The people's mandate was against Congress and CM Okram Ibobi Singh."
Congress received around 35% of the votes, while BJP dramatically raised its share to 36.3%. BJP, which won 21 seats against zero in 2012, now has support of 11 MLAs required to form the government - its third in the northeast. Manipur BJP general secretary Thongam Biswajit Singh and senior spokesman N Biren Singh are top contenders for the post.
After 28 Congress MLAs elected Ibobi Singh as the new leader of the Congress legislature party, party spokesman Debabrata Singh said Congress would soon stake its claim to form the government.