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Return of the Prodigal son?
Strange are the ways the wheel of life turns and stranger still are the ways the political wheel turns. The reported move or rather proposal from the MSCP to merge with the Congress seems like a straight lift from the Biblical story of the Prodigal son who abandoned his family and later returned to his father, a chastened man. For the MSCP, particularly its president, Th Chaoba, it has been a roller coaster ride, with its ups and downs ever since Chaoba and his former ally, W Nipamacha affected a vertical split in the Congress in the winter of 1997 and went on to grab power after dethroning the 'king' of Manipur politics, Rishang Keishing.
From there the MSCP appeared to go from strength to strength and Th Chaoba was seen as the king maker who could do nothing wrong. The 7th Assembly election saw the MSCP come roaring back to power and as an icing on the cake, Th Chaoba, who was then the Working President of the MSCP was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1999 general election. Everything appeared to automatically fall into place when Chaoba was inducted as the MoS for YAS in the BJP led NDA Government in New Delhi. It is another matter that Chaoba was faster shunted to the relatively low profile Food Processing Ministry. But even then the party was far from over for the MSCP and its Working President.
As we see it the first crack within the MSCP appeared when the Opposition led by the redoubtable RK Dorendra launched an all out offensive to dethrone the MSCP led United Front Ministry and set up camp at the official residence of the then Speaker Dr S Dhananjoy. Amidst the confusion over the power tussle Radhabinod Koijam sprang a surprise and dramatically took over as Chief Minister after breaking away from the Congress with 10 of the 11 Cong MLAs and merged with the Samata Party.
These developments scripted the beginning of the end of the MSCP. Thrown in between was the bitter wrangling between Chaoba and W Nipamacha and you had the perfect recipe for political hara-kiri. Even as the MSCP is ready to merge with the Congress we cannot help but feel a certain sense of loss, loss in the sense that a party which was formed by political leaders who had the gumption to stand up against the AICC and 'the then all powerful Rishang Keishing should now be reduced to such a state, then it is seeking to re-enter the very party which was its prime adversary in the past.
True there are certain external factor at work that may have forced the MSCP to take this radical step but the question open to all, is whether it would be politically expedient in the long run to write the epitaph of the MSCP now or whether Th Chaoba should sacrifice his chair and let the party survive with its own identity. The choice is before Chaoba and the MSCP leadership. On its part the Congress too has to do some serious political analysis and try to foresee whether the re-entry of Th Chaoba and his men would be in the best interest of the party.
Already a number of Congress MLAs have reportedly aired their opinion against admitting Chaoba into its fold. The reason is not too far to seek. The man from Utlou is an ambitious man and his re-entry into the party may mean the relegation of a number of middle rung Congress leaders. With a low profile Chief Minister in the person of O Ibobi, the setting could be the perfect stage for Chaoba to play the king maker all over again and we are sure not many Congressmen would relish this idea. In the ultimate analysis, Chaoba is a man one cannot afford to ignore whether one agrees with him or not.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express) |
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