43 BJP members quit in Manipur’s Phungyar constituency ahead of PM Modi’s likely visit

Imphal: As many as 43 BJP members of the Phungyar Mandal and morchas of BJP in Manipur’s Ukhrul district resigned en masse from the party’s primary membership on Thursday, citing neglect of grassroots voices and lack of inclusiveness within the state unit, days before PM Modi’s visit to the northeastern state.The collective resignation, tendered on Thursday, was led by Ngachomni Ramshang, special invitee of the Manipur BJP unit. Others who had submitted resignation included Phungyar BJP mandal president, mahila morcha president, yuva morcha president, kishan morcha president, Scheduled Tribe morcha executive member, and 53 booth-level presidents.The reasons of resignation cited was ‘deep concern over the present state of affairs within the party, lack of consultation and respect for local leadership’, the BJP members said in a statement.

It was stated that while their loyalty to the party’s ideology had remained unwavering, the treatment of grassroots functionaries had forced them to take the step.“We, members, expressed our deep concern over the present state of affairs within the party and highlighted a lack of consultation, inclusiveness, and respect for grassroots leadership as major reasons. Our loyalty to the party and its ideology has always been unwavering.

We reaffirm our commitment to work for the welfare of our community & the people of Manipur,” the statement said.The latest political development, just ahead of Modi’s possible visit to Manipur on Saturday, has left many political analysts puzzled whether the intention of the resignations was to draw the attention of the PM on the disparity of development between the hill and valley or an intention to leave for good.Meanwhile, PTI added that reacting to the resignations, the Manipur BJP unit claimed that the “individuals in question have been engaging in anti-party activities ever since the 2022 assembly elections”.Manipur BJP vice-president Awung Shimray Hopingson said the move was a “publicity stunt, aimed at misleading the public and an attempt to tarnish the image of the party for their personal gain”.