Our Correspondent
Imphal | February 3
The leadership crisis in belligerent Manipur People’s Party (MPP) is seemed to have deepened as AK Sanaton Singh is not relenting even as N Sovakiran was re-chosen as president of one of the oldest regional parties in North East yesterday.
At a press meet at the Manipur Press Club here, AK Sanaton said the matter will be decided only by the court. Choosing Sovakiran as MPP president is ‘unconstitutional,’ he said, adding that until the case pending in the Court of Civil Judge, Senior Division is finished, Sovakiran cannot become president again.
He declared the election of Sovakiran as MPP president null and void and accused the latter of weakening the party organisation.
Sanaton demanded that security personnel deployed in and around MPP office be removed by the government. The step was taken following crisis erupted over the party leadership recently.
He also alleged that MPP will die soon if Sovakiran continues to hold the post of president for another three years. He appealed to people to help revive its strength. Sanaton rejected accusation by Sovakiran that he along with some of his followers misused party fund and said the treasurer and president only have the power to withdraw and use the fund.
MPP whose political position is centre-right with a regionalist political ideology and ruled the state for two-term was derecognized as a regional party in March 2013. This decision was arrived at by the Election Commission, as the party did not manage to win a single seat either in the Manipur Assembly elections in 2012 or the Lok Sabha elections in 2009.
