Are 10 NDA MLAs Meeting Manipur Governor Signaling Support for a Popular Government?

Imphal, May 28 (NationPress) Following a meeting held by former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a group of 10 NDA MLAs convened with the Governor on Wednesday, asserting that they possess the backing of 44 legislators in the 60-member Assembly to establish a popular government in Manipur.

The group comprises 8 members from the BJP and 2 from the National People’s Party (NPP), who have presented a petition to the Governor, signed by 22 legislators, advocating for the formation of a new government.

After their discussion at Raj Bhavan, BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh stated that 44 MLAs are prepared to support the new government in the state.

“Nonetheless, the final decision regarding the establishment of the new government will be made by the central leadership of the BJP,” he conveyed to the media.

He highlighted the numerous hardships faced by the populace.

“In the prior term of the first BJP government, we experienced a loss of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the current term, over two years have been squandered due to ethnic conflicts,” he remarked.

The Manipur Assembly, which has been under suspended animation since the declaration of President's Rule on February 13, maintains its tenure until 2027.

Biren Singh had a discussion with the Governor on Tuesday regarding the restoration of peace and addressing other critical issues within the state.

A senior official indicated that Biren Singh, who resigned from his Chief Minister position on February 9—just four days prior to the imposition of President’s Rule in the volatile state—requested immediate actions from Bhalla to resolve pressing matters, including those concerning illegal immigration.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha member from Manipur, Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, expressed optimism earlier this month about the formation of a popular government within the next two months. He called for unity among political leaders to confront the challenges faced by the state.

“Merely implementing President’s Rule will not resolve the ongoing issues. A popular government can effectively collaborate with the citizens and devise solutions to the current ethnic crisis,” he stated.

BJP's North East In-charge, Sambit Patra, visited Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts earlier this month where he met with Kuki BJP MLAs Vungzagin Valte and Nemcha Kipgen, along with various civil society organizations, including the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU).

Kipgen was the sole female minister in the government led by Biren Singh in Manipur.

Patra also conducted private meetings with Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, and numerous other leaders during his three-day visit to Imphal. Nevertheless, neither Patra nor the BJP disclosed the details of the discussions that took place in these meetings. His visit followed a letter sent by 21 MLAs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, advocating for the restoration of a “popular government” in the state.

An MLA indicated that the majority of the 21 legislators belong to the BJP, with others hailing from the NPP, Naga People’s Front (NPF), and Independents.

In their correspondence, the MLAs informed the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister that the citizens of Manipur welcomed the President's Rule with hope and expectations, yet no tangible actions to restore peace and normalcy have been observed thus far.

To address the two-year-long ethnic strife, the inaugural tripartite meeting between Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials and representatives from the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities was convened in New Delhi on April 5. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to restoring peace in the state during a meeting with MHA officials in New Delhi on Tuesday.