Ahead of the Manipur assembly elections, opposition Congress suffered another setback as one more legislator deserted the party.
Senior MLA Khumukcham Joykishan Singh jumped ship and joined the Janata Dal (United) in Imphal on Wednesday.
Joykishan Singh was suspended from the Congress party for his alleged anti-party activities.
MLA Joykishan, accompanied by his supporters, announced his decision to join the JD(U) on Wednesday at his Khoyathong residence in Imphal.
JD (U) Lok Sabha MP Ramprit Mandal was also present.
“We need a national party which can give a new light and hope (for the people in the state). After all, Nitishji (Bihar chief minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar) is a respectable politician in India and he has also a dream for the region,” Joykishan said.
“So, with the advice from my supporters, I’m formally joining JD (U) tomorrow,” he added.
The Manipur Assembly elections will be held on February 27 and March 3
Joykishan is a sitting Congress MLA from Thangmeiband assembly constituency in Manipur’s Imphal West district where the state’s capital and main commercial hub is located.
On January 18, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) suspended senior MLA Joykishan from the party “on the recommendation of the Disciplinary Action Committee, MPCC.”