BJP MLAs meet central leaders amid Manipur government formation buzz
For the last one week, at least 25 BJP MLAs were camping in New Delhi to meet central leaders in their efforts to form a government in Manipur
Six BJP MLAs from Manipur, also being seen as chief minister probables, met the party’s national general secretary(organisation), BL Santhosh, on Friday morning, people aware of the matter said, amid buzz over formation of a new government in the strife-torn northeastern state that has been under President’s Rule since February 13.
For the last one week, at least 25 BJP MLAs were camping in New Delhi to meet central leaders in their efforts to form a government in Manipur.
People familiar with the matter said that in two meetings — one held with BJP’s northeast coordinator Sambit Patra on Wednesday night, and the other with Santhosh — the MLAs were informed that the central leadership would select the CM candidate. “All the 25 MLAs have agreed to abide by the name chosen by the Centre. They have agreed on the urgent need to have a state government at the helm instead of President’s Rule. We have been told that BL Santhosh ji also said that either he or someone senior will visit Manipur before the election in Bihar. Maybe that is when the decision will be announced,” an official aware of the details of the meeting said.
To be sure, Friday’s closed-door meeting of Santhosh with the six MLAs — former CM Biren Singh, speaker T Satyabrata Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Govindas Konthoujam, K Ibomcha Singh and Biswajit Singh — holds significance because all of these participants recently claimed to have numbers to form the government.
In a statement issued later, Ibomcha said that the MLAs were in Delhi to apprise the central leadership of the prevailing situation in Manipur and expedite the peace process. “A firm assurance was given from the level of the organisation that a new government will be formed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya CM and National People’s Party chief Conrad Sangma visited Manipur on Thursday and met the civil society groups in Kangpokpi. In 2024, Sangma, whose party has seven MLAs in Manipur, withdrew support to Biren government.
While the meetings in the national Capital, seen as the parleys before an acceptable name is decided, were being held, Meghalaya chief minister and National People’s Party chief Conrad Sangma, along with his MLAs, visited Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Thursday. Sangma and his MLAs met the civil society members of the hill district.
In November 2024, Sangma, whose party has seven MLAs in the Manipur assembly (currently under suspended animation), had withdrawn support to the Biren Singh-led state government.
A second person aware of the meetings in Delhi said, “Once the central leadership decides on a new face, Sangma’s party will also come on board. Getting the requisite numbers to form a government will not be a problem. Most probably, we are looking at a new government in Manipur by mid November after the elections in Bihar.”
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 after then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9, following nearly two years of ethnic violence that killed at least 260 people and displaced another 50,000. In December 2024, the Centre had appointed former home secretary Ajay Bhalla as the governor, about two months before President’s Rule was imposed in the state.
