Manipur Sports Minister NPP’s Letpao Haokip Joins BJP

In what comes as a big blow to the NPP in Manipur ahead of the 2022 Assembly Elections, party leader and state Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Letpao Haokip joined

In what comes as a big blow to the NPP in Manipur ahead of the 2022 Assembly Elections, party leader and state Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Letpao Haokip joined the BJP in New Delhi today.

The Chandel MLA joined BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi in presence of Manipur election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and state party in-charge Sambit Patra among others.

Haokip, who shifted allegiance to the BJP, said he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s developmental works for the Northeast and Manipur.

BJP’s Manipur Election in-charge Bhupendra Yadav while welcoming Haokip to the party fold said the N. Biren Singh-led government in the state has taken various developmental schemes to the grassroots in the last 5 years.

Significantly, the development comes only a day after NPP national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma visited the state. The NPP is a coalition partner of the N Biren Singh government in Manipur and also a part of the NEDA. Assembly elections in Manipur are scheduled to be held early next year.

Meanwhile, NPP national vice president and Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar claimed that party leader Letpao Haokip move to join BJP was on expected lines. He claimed that Haokip had shown inclination towards the BJP since the last few months and even skipped several important party meetings. Joykumar said that Haokip’s desertion will not impact the NPP.  He  lashed out at the BJP stating that the party is witnessing internal rumblings and facing a leadership crisis. He also claimed that the BJP is also facing problems in the choice of candidates in each constituency.

The Manipur Deputy Chief Minister further said that despite coming up as an alternative to the Congress in the last election, the BJP could not secure a majority. Joykumar expressed confidence that the NPP will emerge as an alternative to the BJP in 2022 Assembly elections.

There is an undercurrent in favour of NPP, Joykumar claimed stating that NPP will emerge as single largest party.

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