Yumnam Khemchand Singh (62) was elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party in Manipur on Tuesday (February 3, 2026), clearing the path for the restoration of an elected government in the ethnic violence-hit northeastern State after nearly a year of President’s Rule.
Sources said Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki-Zo MLA from Kangpokpi, is likely to be appointed Deputy Chief Minister, making her the first woman and the first Kuki-Zo leader to hold the post. Another Deputy Chief Minister is expected to be from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), a BJP ally, indicating an attempt to balance Manipur’s fractured ethnic and political landscape.
The legislature party meeting was attended by MLAs from the Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, signalling a rare moment of cross-community participation since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.
In a post on X, BJP Manipur Pradesh congratulated Singh on his election, stating that his “experience, dedication and leadership” would strengthen the party and serve the aspirations of the people of Manipur.
Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, following the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid sustained ethnic unrest. The State Assembly was kept under suspended animation, with its term set to end in February 2027. Parliament later approved an extension of President’s Rule till February 13, 2026, amid efforts to revive an elected government.
Singh, a legislator from Singjamei constituency, is a former Speaker of the Manipur Assembly and a former national Taekwondo player. Sources said he emerged as an acceptable consensus choice, including among sections of Kuki-Zo MLAs, and also enjoys the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The meeting was convened by BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh. Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh was present on the dais, along with BJP Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra, central observer Tarun Chugh, and State party president A. Sharda Devi.
The political movement follows a series of security and political review meetings chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in early January, where options for restoring an elected government were discussed.
Whether the new leadership can translate political arithmetic into lasting reconciliation remains an open question.