M
PCC chief’s post
‘Gaikhangam will stay on till next year’
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 19 : Though the term of Gaikhangam as the president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has expired, he will continue to occupy the post till the middle part of next year, said a reliable source from within the MPCC while speaking to The Sangai Express today.
However there may be some changes among the other office bearers of the MPCC ahead of the Parliamentary election.
Despite the fact that the term of Gaikhangam as the president has expired and the signature campaign which was submitted to the AICC as well as the meetings held to demand his removal and installation of a fresh president, Gaikhan-gam will continue in his post till the middle part of next year, said the source.
As reported in this paper earlier, the pressure mounted on the AICC to demand the removal of Gaikhangam will cut no ice as the AICC never bows to pressure tactics, said the source further.
The Congress Working Committee which recently met at Delhi also did not discuss the removal of Gaikhangam, added the source.
Explaining, the source maintained that it is not only Gaikhangam whose term has expired but also the term of the presidents of the district and block level of the Congress. The term of the other office bearers has also expired, said the source and reminded that even the term of Sonia Gandhi as the president of the AICC has expired.
Pointing out that election of the president of the Pradesh Congress Committee is a cumbersome process, the source said that prior to the change in the presidency of the MPCC, changes are first effected at the grass root level, followed at the block level and then district level and at the Pradesh Congress level.
So this in effect means that though the term of Gaikhangam as president has expired, he will not be immediately asked to step down.
Notification of the election is also yet to be issued.
On the other hand, since a change in the presidency of the Pradesh Congress Committee just ahead of the Parliamentary election may not prove healthy for the Congress, there is as such no plan to effect a change at the moment.
Though the AICC or Congress leaders have not officially issued any statement, there have been enough hints that Gaikhangam will continue in his post till May next year.
On the other hand, some changes may effected among the office bearers of the MPCC before the Parliamentary election. The changes will effected to strengthen the party ahead of the Parliamentary election.
Gaikhangam who recently returned after attending the CWC meeting convened a meeting of all office bearers of the MPCC today at 2 pm, said the source.
During the meeting Gaikhangam briefed the officer bearers of the MPCC of the CWC meeting as well as his inputs at the meeting pertaining to the preparations being taken up for the Lok Sabha polls.
Keen to win both the Parliamentary seats in Manipur, the CWC discussed at length the strategies to be adopted in Manipur, Gaikhangam informed the meeting.
