NPP National President Conrad K Sangma said that the party has withdrawn support from N Biren Singh led Government in Manipur, however, continues to be part of BJP led NDA in the centre.
Talking to Mediapersons in Shillong, the NPP Supremo clarified, “We have withdrawn support to the Biren Singh-led government and not the NDA.”
Sangma, however, stated that stated that the NPP might reconsider its position if there is a change in the leadership of the Manipur government.
Sangma expressed grave concern over the escalating unrest in Manipur and the lack of meaningful trust-building measures. “We strongly feel there is no confidence in the current leadership of Chief Minister Biren Singh. While violence is not a solution, it is evident that sentiments among the people are running high,” he stated.
Earlier, the National People’s Party (NPP), led by Conrad Sangma and the second-largest ally with seven MLAs in the BJP-led NDA state government, withdrew its support from the ruling alliance, citing its failure to “restore normalcy” and expressing “deep concern.”
“We were hopeful that the situation would improve in Manipur, and we supported the government with the expectation of normalcy. However, in the last week, the situation has worsened significantly,” Sangma explained.
Sangma also emphasized that the party might reconsider its position if there is a leadership change in the state government. “As the second-largest party in Manipur, we are ready to cooperate in efforts to restore peace. However, we do not support the current leadership of Biren Singh. If there is a leadership change that brings positive results, we might reconsider our position,” he said.
He revealed that the NPP had held discussions with central BJP leaders and repeatedly stressed the need for urgent action. “It is due to this trust deficit that overall efforts to bring peace are failing to reach their logical conclusion,” Sangma pointed out, adding, “No such efforts have been made so far.”
Sangma called on the central government to take decisive steps to stabilize the region. “The situation in Manipur requires urgent and serious intervention from the central government,” he urged.
The NPP’s withdrawal of support marks a pivotal moment in Manipur’s ongoing crisis and could have significant political ramifications for both the state and the NDA’s stability in the region.