IMPHAL: With less than one month to go for the Assembly elections in Manipur, an independent MLA of the state joined the Janata Dal (United) on Friday.

Ashab Uddin, an independent MLA from Manipur’s Jiribam constituency tendered his resignation to the Manipur Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh on Thursday before joining the JD (U).

Ashab Uddin said he joined the party in order to work for the people of Manipur in general and Jiribam in particular without any obstruction which was impossible as an independent MLA.

“I believe that under the dynamic leadership of JD(U) president Lalan Singh and Nitish Kumar, I would be able to bring a substantial change in Manipur and Jiribam,” Indian Express quoted  Ashab Uddin as saying.

Jiribam constituency borders south Assam’s Cachar district.

Ashab Uddin was one of the two MLAs who supported the BJP while staking the claim to form the government in Manipur after the 2017 Assembly elections.

Earlier on Wednesday, suspended Congress MLA Kh Joykishan Singh joined JD (U) in Imphal.

Joykishan is an incumbent   Congress MLA from Thangmeiband assembly constituency in Manipur’s Imphal West district.

On January 18, Joykishan was suspended from the party “on the recommendation of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the MPCC.

The elections to the 60 assembly constituencies of Manipur will be held on February 27 and March 3.