Imphal, Oct 6 (IANS) Vice President of the Congress's Manipur unit Nongthombam Biren resigned from the state assembly and the primary membership of the party on Thursday.
He blamed the ruling Congress for not solving major problems and driving a wedge between the people of the valley and the hills in the northeastern state.
He parried a question as to whether he will be joining any other party like the BJP which has become popular in the past few months.
He is the second Congress MLA to resign from the party. Earlier, veteran COngress leader Yumkham Erabot also resigned and joined the BJP.
Meanwhile, BJP sources told IANS that the present understanding is that over 14 Congress MLAs shall resign and join the BJP in a short time.
Congress state unit President T.N. Haokip declined to comment saying that it is mere speculation and baseless.
Biren said: "People have gained the impression that there is no governance now. It is a world record that the bodies of nine tribals have been in the morgue for more than a year. An agreement should have been ironed out and the bodies given a decent burial."
The nine tribals died while protesting against three anti-migrant bills passed in the Manipur Assembly on August 31, last year. The bills were passed after months of mass movement to protect the indigenous populace from the illegal immigrants in the state, including those from neighbouring Myanmar.
The bills have been strongly opposed by tribals, particularly Nagas and Kukis, who mainly inhabit the hill districts of Manipur.
Biren said that of late Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and his close associates have become unpopular. This is one of the reasons for his resignation, he admitted.
--IANS
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