IMPHAL: After leading Congress to a landslide victory in Manipur, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday met AICC president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. He also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his office and thanked both the leaders for their help in winning the elections.
Ibobi will also meet Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram and Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel.
Congress leaders here said it was a "courtesy" call by the chief minister to Sonia, the PM and other leaders after the victory. But many politcal observers said Ibobi's sudden New Delhi visit to meet the top Congress leaders is significant in view of the challenge to his leadership by state PCC president Gaikhangam.
The newly elected Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Wednesday had authorized the AICC chief to select the new leader. The PCC chief, who is also in the race, is camping in New Delhi along with industries minister Y Erabot Singh.
Congress sources, however, said the leadership issue has already been settled by the party high command in favour of Ibobi as it was under his leadership that the party could get absolute majority and created a history in Manipur's electoral politics. This success was achieved by Ibobi despite militants - both in the hills and the valley - targeted Congress candidates and workers.
But many argue that all is not well in the state Congress. "If the high command completely trusts Ibobi, the issue of CLP leadership could have been settled on Wednesday itself. The way it is taking longer suggests real internal power tussle with some top AICC heavyweights backing Gaikhangam," said a political analyst.
Sources said some AICC leaders want to make Gaikhangam as the deputy chief minister to counter the Naga politics played by NSCN (IM) and United Naga Council (UNC). The PCC chief is a Naga tribesman, who openly opposed NSCN (IM) and UNC.
Backed by UNC, the Naga People's Front (NPF) has won four seats in the election. UNC has been demanding the integration of all Naga inhabited areas of northeast and also an alternative administrative arrangement for the Naga areas of Manipur.
This theory is, however, strongly opposed by the Kuki-Paite bloc. Power minister Phungzathang Tonsing, a Paite tribal, is the seniormost leader of Kuki-Paite bloc in Manipur and he is not ready to accept Gaikhangam as deputy chief minister. He airdashed to New Delhi on Saturday to meet AICC leaders.
Sources said Tonsing's argument is based on the number of tribal MLAs. Of the 14 tribal MLAs in Congress, the Kuki-Paite bloc has eight, while the Nagas has only six. Among the Naga MLAs, three have supported Ibobi. If a Naga leader is elevated to the post of deputy chief minister, the Kuki-Paite bloc will be the first one to revolt in the party -- a situation Ibobi wanted to avoid.
Manipur PCC vice-president and MLA Mirabai Devi also reached New Delhi on Saturday. The most respected woman Congress leader in Manipur, Mirabai is also likely to brief AICC leaders.
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