Manipur: NDA MLAs Stake Claim to Form Government, Seek End to President’s Rule Amid Ongoing Crisis
A day after former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a group of ten NDA legislators, including members of the BJP and the National People’s Party (NPP), submitted a formal petition on Wednesday urging the Governor to facilitate the formation of a popular government in Manipur. The appeal comes amid mounting political pressure and public distress during the ongoing spell of President’s Rule in the violence-torn northeastern state.
The delegation comprised eight MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and two from the NPP. The petition, submitted with signatures from 22 MLAs, claimed that a total of 44 legislators in the 60-member Manipur Assembly are prepared to support the formation of a new government.
In a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan, it was confirmed that the MLAs had discussed the deteriorating law and order situation and emphasized the urgent need for peacebuilding measures. “The delegation of 10 MLAs met with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan in Imphal and discussed key issues, including the initiation of a peace process through mutual understanding and the strengthening of security arrangements,” the statement said.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, BJP MLA Thokchom Radheshyam Singh reiterated the claim that 44 MLAs are ready to support a new government. However, he noted that the final decision would rest with the BJP’s central leadership. “The people of Manipur are suffering greatly. We have already lost significant time—two years during the pandemic in the previous term, and more than two years now due to the ongoing ethnic conflict,” he added.
The Manipur Legislative Assembly has been under suspended animation since the imposition of President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, following Biren Singh’s resignation on February 9. The Assembly’s current term extends until 2027.
Biren Singh’s meeting with the Governor on Tuesday reportedly centered on urgent governance concerns, including the restoration of peace, the issue of illegal immigration, and the broader ethnic tensions that have plagued the state since 2023. A senior official confirmed that Singh appealed for swift administrative intervention on these critical matters.
Calls for restoring democratic governance in Manipur have grown louder in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba expressed optimism that a popular government would be reinstated within two months. He urged all political leaders in the state to come together to confront the ethnic and administrative crisis.
“President’s Rule alone cannot resolve the situation. A representative government is needed to work closely with the people and find lasting solutions,” Leishemba said.
BJP’s North East In-Charge Sambit Patra also visited Manipur earlier this month. During his three-day visit, he toured violence-affected districts like Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, where he met with Kuki MLAs Vungzagin Valte and Nemcha Kipgen, along with members of civil society organizations such as the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Kipgen served as the lone woman minister in the previous BJP-led state government.
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Patra also held closed-door meetings in Imphal with former CM Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, and other key BJP and alliance leaders. Although the BJP has not disclosed the specific content of these meetings, political analysts view them as part of efforts to build consensus on restoring a democratic government in the state.
Notably, Patra’s visit followed a letter submitted by 21 MLAs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In their letter, the legislators—primarily from the BJP, NPP, Naga People’s Front (NPF), and some Independents—urged the Union Government to reinstate a popular government. While they acknowledged the people’s initial hopes in President’s Rule, they criticized the lack of visible progress in bringing peace to the conflict-ridden state.
|Als Read : 10 NDA MLAs meet Manipur Governor, claim 44 MLAs support popular government :
Efforts to mediate between warring ethnic groups have also gained momentum. On April 5, the first tripartite talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and representatives of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities were held in New Delhi. Most recently, on Tuesday, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI)—a key Meitei umbrella group—held another round of discussions with MHA officials and reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful resolution.
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As the state grapples with over two years of ethnic strife, political uncertainty, and administrative paralysis, the demand for a functional and representative government has grown increasingly urgent, with pressure now mounting on the central leadership of the BJP to take decisive action.
