IMPHAL: In yet another blow to Congress in Manipur, party MLA Ginsuanhau defected to BJP on Monday. Ginsuanhau represents the Singhat assembly constituency in the remote Churachandpur district.With Ginsuanhau's entry, the BJP-led coalition ministry now has 34 legislators in the 60-member house. The opposition Congress, which won 28 seats in the recent assembly polls, has now 26 MLAs. Speculation is doing the rounds that some more Congress MLAs are likely to join the saffron party in the next few days.The coalition government, which is yet to be named, had initially teamed up with four MLAs each from NPP and NPF, the lone winners of Trinamool Congress , LJP, an Independent MLA and Congress MLA Th Shyamkumar Singh, who defected to BJP.Shyamkumar, who is likely to face anti-defection proceedings under the initiation of the opposition Congress, was given a cabinet berth. Along with 14 Autonomous District Council (ADC) members, Gingshahao joined BJP.Chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, who arrived here on Monday after participating in the party's national executive meeting in Bhubaneswar, welcomed the new entrants at the party's Imphal head office during a small function. "BJP is gaining strength day by day. This shows Congress legislators have lost faith in the party," state unit BJP general secretary N Nimbus Singh told TOI."It would be quite early to point out whether Ginsuanhau would be given a prominent post in the new government," said Nimbus.Observers feel the saffron party's key target to bring in more Congress MLAs is meant to keep itself safe when differences among the coalition partners crop up in future.

Stay updated with all the Latest Imphal headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.