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Crisis within Manipur unit of National People’s Party continues
National People’s Party’s (NPP) national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had expelled the party’s Manipur unit president for allegedly acting against the constitution of the party.
A day after National People’s Party’s (NPP) national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expelled the party’s Manipur unit president for allegedly acting against the constitution of the party, expelled state unit chief Thangminlien Kipgen said that he never acted in the said manner and will never go against the constitution of the NPP.
In a statement and a video released on Thursday, Kipgen said, “I have never acted against the constitution of the party as alleged by the national president as I have already stated earlier, the national president was misled by some individual for their personal gain. The recent constitution of the state election authority was also done in accordance with the party’s constitution since the present tenure of my presidentship is about to expire on 26 August 2020.”
On Wednesday, Sangma had announced the expulsion of NPP Manipur unit president Thangminlien Kipgen from the party after he was re-elected uncontested for a three-year term, saying the process of his election violated the party’s constitution.
Also read: NPP expels newly elected state president in Manipur
He said, “In order to ensure that the (party’s Manipur) office continues, we appointed N Kayisii who is also the tribal affairs minister in the state of Manipur as the interim president.” The election to the state unit of Manipur will take place very shortly following all the procedures of the constitution of the NPP, he added.
Reacting to Sangma’s statement, Kipgen alleged that the appointment of the interim president is not line with the party’s constitution as he, N Kayisii, has failed to renew his party membership. “Thus, he is no longer a member of the NPP Manipur,” he said. “Therefore, on the recommendation of the disciplinary committee under Article 19 of the party’s constitution, I expel him (Kayisii) from the party for 6 years,” he added.
He also claimed that the constitution of the NPP referred by the national president is neither found in the ECI website as well as in the NPP office in Manipur. Despite the show-cause notice issued by the NPP national secretary on August 20, asking him to respond within 15 days from the date of issue of the notification, he was expelled on August 24 which is unconstitutional, unbecoming and uncalled for, he claimed.
It may be noted that 4 legislators of NPP, which became a national party in June last year, are ministers in the BJP-led government in Manipur.
