Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh was Thursday stripped of key portfolios, following a controversy over rice allocation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) during the coronavirus lockdown.
Joykumar of NPP had reportedly termed the CM’s assurance of food security during the lockdown as ‘hogwash’, saying rice allocation for his constituency was not enough to distribute to people.
The development comes soon after Government spokesperson and Lamsang MLA, S Rajen, challenged the four ministers of ally National People’s Party (NPP) to resign if they were not satisfied with the leadership of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Yumnam Joykumar Singh is the leader of the legislature party of the National People’s Party (NPP) in Manipur, a coalition partner of the BJP-led government in the State.
At present all four MLAs elected on NPP tickets are cabinet ministers in the coalition government in Manipur.
The latest development is likely to have a political fallout since several MLAs of the BJP and its allies have been demanding a reshuffle of the council of ministers.
The effective strength of the 60-member Assembly is now 59 after a Congress MLA, who had defected to the BJP, was disqualified by the Speaker last month following an order of the Supreme Court.
– Inputs from Various Sources