Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post on Sunday, a day ahead of the state assembly’s budget session, amid reports of a rebellion within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the violence-hit state.
Singh met Governor Ajay Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal at around 5 PM, accompanied by BJP North-East incharge Sambit Patra, state BJP president A Sharda, and at least 19 MLAs. He submitted his resignation following a two-hour-long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi earlier in the day.
According to reports, the Governor has asked Singh to continue in his position until a new government takes charge. The resignation follows repeated demands for Singh’s removal amid the ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which has persisted since May 2023. Singh had previously submitted his resignation in July 2023 but withdrew it after protests from his supporters.
According to Hindustan Times, multiple BJP leaders in Manipur have stated that some MLAs were prepared to publicly rebel against Singh during the assembly session on Monday by sitting with the opposition.
Singh had rushed to Delhi on Saturday evening for discussions with BJP leaders, marking his second visit in less than a week. He had held a meeting with some BJP MLAs before departing Imphal, but several legislators reportedly skipped the meeting and held a separate discussion instead.
In his resignation letter to the Governor, Singh acknowledged the Centre’s role in safeguarding Manipur’s interests, particularly regarding border fencing, narco-terrorism, and cracking down on infiltration. He urged the Centre to continue its interventions.
As of now, the Manipur government and the Raj Bhavan have not issued an official statement on the resignation.
The BJP has 32 MLAs in Manipur Assembly, along with additional support from five legislators of the Naga People’s Front and six from the JD(U). Despite the withdrawal of support by ally Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party, the BJP maintains a comfortable majority.
Reacting to the news, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said that the party was set to move a no-confidence motion against him and his cabinet in the state assembly tomorrow. Calling Singh’s resignation “belated”, Ramesh said the Congress had been demanding his removal since May 2023, when violence first erupted in the state.
“Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned. This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023, when Manipur erupted,” Ramesh said.
The Congress MP also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to visit the state that has been embroiled in ethnic conflict for nearly two years.