Imphal, March 18: the most favourite rumours of certain sections of the people at present seems to be that Chief Minister Okram Ibobi is going to be replaced !
And who will be the next Chief Minister ?

Yumkham Irabot ! A handful of people would like to answer.
Such rumours have suddenly started doing the rounds in Imphal even as Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Co-Operation Minister Y Irabot has landed in New Delhi yesterday.
Speculations, rather rumours are rife that Minister Irabot had been summoned to Delhi by the General Secretary of AICC, Rahul Gandhi, and that the replacement of Chief Minister O Ibobi would be discussed between them.

Reports from Delhi affirmed that Rahul Gandhi is not in Delhi, he is at present camping in Chennai on some party-related works.
Reliable sources in Congress said that there had been reports about Minister Y Irabot complaining to Rahul Gandhi, party president Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee against Chief Minister Ibobi earlier.

The sources said that the Minister's complaints were mostly that Chief Minister Ibobi has not taken up any developmental work in his Assembly Constituency in his favour and that all important developmental programmes taken up in his Constituency had been handed over to a close relative of the Chief Minister creating a lot of inconveniences for him.

However, how far these complaints were true could not be confirmed from the Minister Irabot himself. Y Irabot reached Delhi yesterday, but he did not go to both Manipur Bhavans there. He is reported to have checked in Room No. 102 at Manipur Bhavan, Sardar Patel Marg this morning. Works Minister K Ranjit, IFCD and YAS Minister N Biren and Dy Chairman of State Planning Board, Bijoy Koijam are also staying at the same Bhavan.

The sources further said that Minister Irabot has not met any leader of AICC in New Delhi from yesterday till today nor complained to any important figure against Chief Minister Ibobi.

However, rumours are afloat in Imphal that O Ibobi is going to be replaced by Y Irabot as the Chief Minister. A number of telephone calls had been received at the office of this newspaper today enquiring of any latest development regarding the "rumours."

A Minister confirmed to this newspaper tonight that there is nothing going on in AICC as regards the rumours published in certain section of the press in Imphal, and that a Minister like Irabot, who has no MLAs backing him, is not going to be able to rock the Ibobi-led SPF government.

Hueiyen News Service