Congress Accuses BJP Government in Manipur of Ignoring Constitutional Mandates by Failing to Hold Assembly Session

Imphal, Dec 21 (NationPress) Former Chief Minister and seasoned Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday accused the BJP administration in Manipur of breaching constitutional standards by failing to convene the winter session of the state Assembly.

Singh, who also leads the Congress legislature party, stated that the state government is contravening the Constitution by not holding Assembly sessions within the designated timeframe.

Pointing to the Constitutional mandates and relevant regulations, the former Chief Minister (2002-2017) informed the media that three Assembly sessions—budget, autumn, and winter—are required to occur within a calendar year.

Nevertheless, the state administration has yet to call for the winter session, even as the year draws to a close, Singh highlighted. He noted that they have submitted a memorandum to the governor, the Speaker, and the chief minister urging them to convene the winter session without delay.

Singh remarked that the Congress is obliged to request the Governor, Chief Minister, and Assembly Speaker to initiate the winter session to ensure that democratic institutions like the legislative Assembly operate as intended.

“As a responsible opposition party, we cannot stand idly by while the government neglects its constitutional responsibilities,” the Congress leader asserted.

State Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh sharply criticized the ruling BJP in Manipur for the extended delay in organizing elections for the Autonomous District Council (ADC).

“The failure to conduct elections in the ADCs is a breach of constitutional provisions,” Singh stated during a meeting with the District Congress Committee (DCC) at Limkhu in Chandel district.

He emphasized that the ADC elections have been postponed for over four years, raising concerns about the negative effects of this delay, particularly the withholding of approximately Rs 500 crore allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for hill development.

Questioning the logic behind government initiatives like “Go to Hills” and “Go to Village” in the absence of allocated funds, the state Congress chief noted that while these slogans are attractive, the promised financial support has been delayed due to the lack of elections, representing a clear violation of constitutional rights.

Manipur is home to six ADCs aimed at fostering socio-economic development for the tribal population, which constitutes 40 percent of Manipur's approximately 3.2 million residents, with Nagas and Kuki-Zo being the predominant tribal communities among the 34 tribes.

The last ADC elections took place in 2015 while the Congress was in power, and the tenure of the six ADCs expired in 2020.