5 Congress MLAs, including ex-CM nephew Okram Henry Singh, join BJP
Five Manipur MLAs who had resigned from Congress, including Okram Henry Singh who is the nephew of CLP leader and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, joined BJP on Wednesday. Party's national general secretary Ram Madhav, national vice president Baijayant Panda and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh were present.
Six Congress MLAs had submitted their resignation from the Assembly on August 10 and quit the party on August 11.
They are among the eight Congress legislators who had defied a party whip last week and skipped the one-day session of the assembly, in which the BJP-led N Biren Singh government had comfortably won the confidence vote.
The six are Okram Henry Singh, Oinam Lukhoi Singh, Md Abdul Nasir, Ngamthang Haokip, Ginsuanhau and Paonam Brojen. Okram Henry Singh is the nephew of Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi Singh.
Congress, which had won a total of 28 seats to emerge as the single largest party in the 60-member Manipur house after the 2017 polls, saw members deserting it from time to time.
Soon after the election, one of its legislator Thounaojam Shyamkumar was disqualified under the anti-defection law for joining BJP.
Further, three Congress MLAs - Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, Yengkhom Surchandra Singh and Sanasam Bira Singh- were disqualified from membership of Manipur Assembly by the speaker.
The six who accompanied the chief minister are the latest additions to the list.
