A file picture shows Trinamool Congress MLAs of Manipur with Trinamool
Supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Photo: Sushanta Patronobish.
There is likely to be a free for all fight between the two factions of
Trinamool Congress in Manipur. One faction led by Shyamkumar Thounaojam
is threatening to disqualify the MLAs in the other faction. On the other
hand, the other faction is saying that it will take recourse to legal
redress since the party is indulging in illegal activities.
Soon after the Lok sabha elections, an ouster campaign was launched
against state president Ms Kim Gangte holding her squarely responsible
for the failure of the TMC to win both the Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Ms Gangte herself had contested the elections from the reserved seat.
But she refused to resign saying that the party high command has the sole authority to remove her.
Meanwhile, the 5 TMC MLAs were in one camp while the remaining 2 MLAs
were in the other. The 5 MLAs and other functionaries had elected
Jaikishan Khumukcham as the new president. It was endorsed by a general
body meeting. However, on Monday the TMC sent a fax to Imphal saying
that Shyamkumar Thounaojam of the other camp was made the new president
of the state unit. The new president said that those who indulge in anti
party activities shall face disqualification.
However, Mr. Khumukcham says that he was elected through democratic and
legal process and nothing can undo his election. He claimed that the TMC
is a state party and the government gazatte in Imphal had published a
notification to this effect. He contended that under the circumstances
the leaders of TMC elsewhere cannot meddle with the democratic process
in Manipur.
