
BJP supporters show their ink-mark fingers at Imphal, Manipur. BJP
leaders in Manipur had started a campaign with the demands for the
ouster of the state unit president Chaoba Thounaojam which is gaining
considerable momentum. File photo
BJP leaders in Manipur had started a campaign with the
demands for the ouster of the state unit president Chaoba Thounaojam
which is gaining considerable momentum. Mr. Thounaojam who had gone to
Delhi to attend the swearing-in function is staying back there to hold
the fort since his detractors are also camping in New Delhi.
The
ouster campaign is orchestrated by three former Manipur unit BJP
presidents, Bhorot Meinam, Borobabu Haobam and Shantikumar Sharma. The
leaders said that Mr. Thounaojam is not consulting the senior leaders
while allotting the BJP tickets in the Lok sabha elections. Because of
the lack of coordination and allotment of the party tickets at his own
choice the party could not win both the Lok sabha seats in Manipur.
Mr.
Ranjan Rajkumar, the candidate for the general seat was facing the
elections for the first time in his life. He was a teacher and
environmentalist. On the other hand, Gangmumei Kamei had been a minister
in Manipur. The detractors seem to be confident that as soon as a new
BJP president is elected he will pay special attention to the goings on
in Manipur.
However the group of Mr. Thounaojam is
confident that he will be allowed to complete his term which ends in
December 2015. Many women members had also left the party when the party
ticket was denied to Ms Indira Oinam. She had contested the prestigious
Thoubal Assembly constituency against chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
She lost by a narrow margin. However, Mr. Thounaojam does not have much
justification to make his position clear to the BJP national leaders.