Imphal, March 1 (NationPress) The Council of Ministers under the leadership of Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh is anticipated to see an expansion following the forthcoming Budget session of the state Assembly, as indicated by sources from the BJP on Sunday.

Chief Minister Khemchand Singh assumed his role on February 4, following the revocation of President's Rule in the state.

Along with him, four other MLAs were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers.

However, the ministry led by Khemchand Singh remains incomplete, with seven ministerial positions still unfilled.

BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen, representing the Kuki community, and Loishi Dikho from the Naga People's Front (NPF) took their oaths as Deputy Chief Ministers alongside CM Khemchand Singh.

BJP MLA Govindas Konthoujam and Khuraijam Loken Singh from the National People's Party were also sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.

Former Minister Nemcha Kipgen, the only woman Minister in Manipur, took her oath virtually as Deputy Chief Minister from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi due to security precautions.

A senior BJP official mentioned that the expansion of the Council of Ministers is expected to occur after the Budget session of the Manipur Assembly, which is likely to be convened post the Holi festival.

On February 5, a one-day session of the state Assembly was conducted, during which Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla addressed the House.

Previously, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh emphasized that restoring peace and normalcy in the violence-affected state is a joint responsibility of all stakeholders, including elected officials.

The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which was kept under suspended animation during President's Rule, has a tenure that extends until 2027.

The troubled state had been under President's Rule since February 13, 2025, just four days after the resignation of the then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid ongoing ethnic violence.

On February 22, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh, along with the two Deputy Chief Ministers, met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss various matters, including the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by ethnic conflict.

An official from the Chief Minister's Office stated that Union Home Minister Shah evaluated the new state government's measures aimed at fostering harmony among communities and restoring peace in the state.

During his trip to New Delhi, the Chief Minister also conferred with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The Chief Minister and the two Deputy Chief Ministers also engaged with BJP President Nitin Nabin and the party's National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh to discuss various organizational issues.

In the meantime, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss critical matters concerning the state.