The 60 member Manipur Assembly entered a floor test today, wherein the BJP leader and Manipur CM Nongthombam Biren Singh had to prove his majority. The CM proved his majority and won the floor test.
Biren Singh became the first BJP CM in the State ever and swore in on March 16. Before the floor test, the party leaders and legislators were placed in a hotel at Guwahati along with the TMC leader since Thursday. Only two BJP MLAs, which includes the CM were made part of the BJP led Government. Four seats were given to National People’s Party, who were all made ministers. The list was completed by Th Shyam Kumar who joined the BJP from Congress post the election, Karam Shyam of LJP and one from NPF.
NJP won 21 seats in the assembly elections after which they gathered the support of four NPP, four NPF MLAs, One LJP MLA and one each MLA from Congress and TMC.
This is the third BJP led government in the northeast after Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This cabinet is expected to expand in the next fortnight. Also, more BJP MLAs are expected to be inducted into the cabinet as they can have a total of 12 ministers. The 56 year old CM said, “A corruption free government and equal development of the valley and hills for a united Manipur will be the other priorities of the government.”
The CM Biren Singh’s government also lifted a blockade of Manipur’s two national highways, which has been in force since November last year for a total of 139 days. This blockade was started to protest the creation of new districts by the then Congress government, led by Ibobi Singh.
