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Disquiet in NDA over UGC Draft, but JD(U) Stays with BJP in Manipur

Disquiet in NDA over UGC Draft, but JD(U) Stays with BJP in Manipur

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Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Jan 22: Even as the Janata Dal (United) sacked its Manipur unit president for unilaterally deciding to withdraw the party’s support to the BJP government in the state, disquiet prevailed in the NDA over the draft rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which seeks to take away some powers of the elected state governments in the field of higher education in preference to the Centre-appointed governors in the states.

In a surprising development, the Manipur unit chief of the party wrote a letter to the governor informing him that the JD(U) no longer supports the N Biren Singh government in the state and treat the party’s lone member in the Manipur Assembly as a member of the opposition.

Within hours of Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, the JD(U) unit president in Manipur, sent the letter to the governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla withdrawing the party’s support to the N Biren Singh government, the JDU) high command removed the Manipur unit president from his post for not consulting the central leadership before making the decision to break ties with the BJP in the state.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad called the news of the party’s decision to sever ties with the BJP in Manipur “misleading and baseless.” He further clarified that Kshetrimayum Biren Singh had written the letter independently and not in consultation with the central leadership.

“This is misleading and baseless. The party has taken cognizance of it and the party’s Manipur unit president has been relieved from his post… The Manipur unit did not communicate with the central leadership, they were not taken into confidence. He (Manipur JDU chief) himself wrote the letter, Mr Prasad said.

The JD(U) national spokesperson reiterated the party’s position, stating that JD(U) continues to stand with its NDA partner, the BJP, both at the Centre and in Manipur. “We are with the NDA and the state unit will continue to serve the people of Manipur and contribute to the development of the state,” he noted.

Though the JD(U) withdrawing support would have no impact on the stability of the BJP government in Manipur where party enjoyed a comfortable majority, it was sought to be a strong message considering that the party’s support was crucial to the BJP governments at the centre and in Bihar. The Manipur development comes months after the Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party, which is in power in Meghalaya, withdrew support to the N Biren Singh government in the violence-torn North-Eastern state.

JDU won six seats in the 2022 Assembly election in Manipur, but months after the polls, five MLAs switched to the BJP, consolidating the ruling party’s numbers. The BJP currently has 37 legislators in the 60-member Assembly. It is backed by five MLAs of the Naga People’s Front and three Independents, giving it a comfortable majority.

Ksh Biren Singh, who headed Manipur’s JDU unit, wrote to Governor informing him of the development. “In the election to State Assembly of Manipur held in February/March, 2022, six candidates set up by Janata Dal (United) were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of Janata Dal United) defected to BJP. Trial under Tenth Schedule of Constitution of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speaker’s Tribunal. After Janata Dal (United) became a part of INDIA bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by Janata Dal (United) by informing the office of Hon’ble Governor, Leader of the House (Chief Minister) and Speaker.”

“As such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of Janata Dal(United) in Manipur, Md. Abdul Nasir is made in the Opposition Bench in the last session of Assembly by the Speaker,” the letter said. “It is, hereby, further reiterated that Janata Dal(United), Manipur Unit does not support the BJP led state government in Manipur, and our lone MLA, Md. Abdul Nasir, shall be treated as an opposition MLA in the House,” it added.

This latest development comes amid criticism faced by the Biren Singh government over the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, which has been plagued by violence since May last year. Mr Singh has faced criticism not only from opposition parties but also from members of his own party and alliance partners.

Even on the Manipur front the contradictory stand taken by the JDU) state unit and its national leadership make little difference to the BJP, its dissatisfaction would have to be addressed by the BJP central leadership to ensure the smooth functioning of the NDA governments at the centre and in Bihar.

The JD(U) has criticised the UGC’s draft regulations 2025 for curbing the role of an elected state government in the field of higher education. The draft UGC rules propose to give the Chancellors — who are mostly the Governors appointed by the Centre in states — greater powers in appointment of the Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) in the state universities. The JD(U) sources said the party has decided to take up the issue with the NDA once it goes through the draft thoroughly.

Expressing JD(U) objections to the UGC Draft regulations, Mr Prasad said, “Every political party has a roadmap. Higher education is an important part of that. By limiting the role of elected governments in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, the efforts of the state government in the field of education will be discouraged to a great extent. We have not read the draft of the UGC regulations, but the things that are coming out in the media show that some amendments to that may be needed.”

Even the other key ally of the BJP in NDA, the Telegu Desam Party have also expressed reservations over the UGC move. “We have seen the draft UGC rules but as our top leadership is in Davos for the WEF (World Economic Forum), there have been no internal discussions on it. However, if we have any reservations, we will not raise them publicly and will rather communicate them to the people concerned internally. We do not wish to politicise this issue,” TDP national spokesperson Deepak Reddy has said.

Several Opposition-ruled states have opposed the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025, that propose to give the Chancellors a broader powers in appointing the V-Cs in the state universities. The Opposition camp has alleged that these rules would undermine the constitutional principle of federalism besides damaging the interest of the state’s higher education sector.

On Tuesday, the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution, urging the BJP-led Central government to immediately withdraw the draft UGC regulations. Chief Minister and CPM stalwart Pinarayi Vijayan has attacked the draft for seeking to “abolish” the rights of states in higher education. It was a continuation of the “commercialisation, communalisation and centralisation policies imposed by the UGC and the Central government,” he alleged.

In Kerala, both the CPM and the principal Opposition Congress have been up in arms against the draft UGC rules, alleging that it was part of a Sangh Parivar agenda to control the higher education sector.

The Tamil Nadu had also unanimously passed a resolution against the draft, urging the Centre to roll it back. The resolution, moved by CM and DMK president M K Stalin, charged that the UGC’s proposals were against federalism and the interest of the state. The Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Govi Chezian had called the draft UGC rules “dictatorial”, asserting that if the Centre did not withdraw it, the DMK dispensation would take “legal recourse” and hold “people’s protests” over the issue.

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