Imphal, April 1: Ministers in Manipur have threatened to resign en masse if chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh replaces any one of them in accordance with the demand of dissident Congress legislators for a reshuffle of the four-year-old ministry.

There are 12 members in the Ibobi Singh ministry and dissidents have been pushing for replacing 10 of them, barring the chief minister and deputy chief minister Gaikhangam.

Seven of the 10 ministers met the chief minister in his office today and served the ultimatum.

They had taken the decision yesterday when they were closeted in the office of revenue, law and forest minister Th. Devendra Singh and discussed the political development. The other three, who are away on official tour, did not participate.

The seven had conveyed their resolve to resign en masse if any one of the 10 ministers was dropped to the three ministers, including the lone woman minister, Akoijam Mirabai Devi, who is in charge of the social welfare department.

An official in the chief minister's office confirmed that the seven ministers met Ibobi Singh in his office.

"But we cannot say what transpired during the meeting. They spent more than one hour," he added.

A source close to the seven ministers said they informed the chief minister of their decision to quit in the event of a reshuffle.

Altogether 25 dissidents have been demanding the replacement of the PCC president and a reshuffle in the ministry.

They met the chief minister yesterday and put pressure on him for a reshuffle while appreciating his cooperation in appointing a new PCC president, a member of the dissident group told The Telegraph.

The dissidents had met AICC president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi last month after which the party high command appointed former minister and party MLA T.N. Haokip as the new PCC president on March 29, replacing Gaikhangam.

Haokip will assume office tomorrow.

Accompanied by Ibobi Singh, he will visit New Delhi on Sunday to make a courtesy call on Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders. Deputy chief minister Gaikhangam is expected to join them.

The trio is expected to discuss the issue of reshuffle with the party high command, a dissident leader said.

"Our demand is change of all the 10 ministers, barring the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. Until and unless there is a change in the ministry, we will continue to push for a reshuffle."

He said the chief minister had reneged on his promise made at the time of ministry formation that a reshuffle would be effected in the middle of the term.

Assembly elections in the state are due by March next year.