New Delhi/Imphal, Feb 3 (NationPress) The former Speaker of the Manipur Assembly, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, has been officially designated as the upcoming Chief Minister of the state, according to an announcement made on Tuesday.

The BJP legislative party convened in New Delhi and declared that Khemchand Singh has been selected as the Leader of the Legislature Party and will assume the role of Chief Minister in Manipur, which has been under President’s Rule since February 13 of the previous year, following the resignation of then-Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid ongoing ethnic unrest.

Singh, who belongs to the dominant Meitei community, previously served as the Rural Development Minister and has represented the Singjamei constituency as a BJP candidate in both the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.

In a notable move amidst the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023, the 61-year-old BJP leader visited the tribal-majority hill districts of Ukhrul and Kamjong on Monday, marking the first outreach by any Meitei leader to these regions since the onset of the conflict.

Following extensive discussions, the BJP initiated the procedure to select a new Chief Minister in Manipur on Monday, with the party’s Parliamentary Board appointing national General Secretary Tarun Chugh as the Central Observer for the election of the Legislative Party Leader in the state.

Under the direction of central BJP leadership, numerous MLAs from the BJP and its coalition parties arrived in New Delhi earlier this week.

Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Khemchand Singh, and state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi were among those who accompanied the party MLAs in the national capital.

Sharda Devi informed the media prior to departing Imphal for New Delhi, stating, "We anticipate discussions regarding government formation."

The Union government enforced President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13 of the previous year, just four days after Biren Singh resigned as Chief Minister, and it is set to conclude on February 12 of this year.

The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which has a term extending until 2027, has remained in a state of suspended animation.

Following the imposition of President’s Rule, senior BJP leaders, including national General Secretary B.L. Santhosh and the party's Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, conducted a series of meetings with Manipur MLAs in both New Delhi and Imphal.

The BJP holds 37 seats in the state Assembly, while its NDA partners—the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF)—hold six and five seats, respectively. Additionally, three Independent MLAs are also backing the BJP-led NDA.