<p>Poaching from the opposition camp in north-east continues for the BJP with former Manipur Congress president Govindas Konthoujam joining the saffron party on Sunday.</p>.<p>Five days ago, he was an MLA and chief of Congress in Manipur but the BJP managed to rope him in. He is another high-profile state Congress leader to join the saffron camp after N Biren Singh, who became Chief Minister under BJP, after leaving Congress.</p>.<p>The induction of Konthoujam will be a boost to the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections in Manipur early next year.</p>.<p>With Kanthoujam's resignation from the 60-member Assembly, Congress now has 16 MLAs while BJP has 25. Its number could rise if the bypoll to Kanthoujam's constituency Bishnupur seat is won by it.</p>.<p>The Manipur assembly has an effective strength of 56 in which the BJP has 25 members and the Congress 16 after Kanthoujam's resignation from the House. BJP had in 2017 polls won 21 seats.</p>.<p>Congress had won 28 seats to emerge as the single-largest party but the BJP's political maneuvering helped it form the government after it managed to get support of other parties.</p>.<p>A former minister and six-time MLA, Konthoujam joined the BJP in the presence of Biren Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni and the party's in-charge for the state Sambit Patra.</p>.<p>Patra said Konthoujam decided to join the BJP after he was impressed by the development work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the north-east.</p>.<p>"The Prime Minister has cared for the north-east and recently five ministers from the region have been inducted into his Council of Minister. Manipur promises to make the Modi-led government stronger," Biren Singh said.</p>.<p>The Chief Minister said he was also in Congress but the vehicle could not move as the driver was asleep. "Since Modi's government came in, things have been peaceful in Manipur where there had been violence," he said.</p>
<p>Poaching from the opposition camp in north-east continues for the BJP with former Manipur Congress president Govindas Konthoujam joining the saffron party on Sunday.</p>.<p>Five days ago, he was an MLA and chief of Congress in Manipur but the BJP managed to rope him in. He is another high-profile state Congress leader to join the saffron camp after N Biren Singh, who became Chief Minister under BJP, after leaving Congress.</p>.<p>The induction of Konthoujam will be a boost to the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections in Manipur early next year.</p>.<p>With Kanthoujam's resignation from the 60-member Assembly, Congress now has 16 MLAs while BJP has 25. Its number could rise if the bypoll to Kanthoujam's constituency Bishnupur seat is won by it.</p>.<p>The Manipur assembly has an effective strength of 56 in which the BJP has 25 members and the Congress 16 after Kanthoujam's resignation from the House. BJP had in 2017 polls won 21 seats.</p>.<p>Congress had won 28 seats to emerge as the single-largest party but the BJP's political maneuvering helped it form the government after it managed to get support of other parties.</p>.<p>A former minister and six-time MLA, Konthoujam joined the BJP in the presence of Biren Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni and the party's in-charge for the state Sambit Patra.</p>.<p>Patra said Konthoujam decided to join the BJP after he was impressed by the development work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the north-east.</p>.<p>"The Prime Minister has cared for the north-east and recently five ministers from the region have been inducted into his Council of Minister. Manipur promises to make the Modi-led government stronger," Biren Singh said.</p>.<p>The Chief Minister said he was also in Congress but the vehicle could not move as the driver was asleep. "Since Modi's government came in, things have been peaceful in Manipur where there had been violence," he said.</p>
