Former PHED minister and MLA T N Haokip has been appointed as the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.
Haokip, who represents Saikot Assembly constituency in Churachandpur district, replaced Gaikhangam for the post of the new president as under the "one man one post" policy of the Congress Party, a spokesman for the Committee said.
The replacement came in the wake of the recent revolt by 20 Congress legislators against Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who held the post of president of MPCC.
The revolt followed resentment by the Congress MLAs over the decision to suspend five Manipur police personnel after the Nagaland-based Naga Students' Federation imposed an indefinite ban on the entry of vehicles belonging to a particular community.
The ban followed an incident on February 14 in which some members of the student body were assaulted by Manipur police. The student body had demanded suspension of the personnel and Manipur government yielded to its demand, creating dissent among the Congress MLAs.
Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and his deputy Gaikhangam were recently summoned by Sonia Gandhi, president of AICC, to discuss the matter on March 15 sensing trouble in the Congress party.
