Manipur Congress seeks clarity from Governor on Assembly status
President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 this year, following the resignation of Nongthombam Biren Singh as Chief Minister on February 9, amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in the State.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, State Congress president K. Meghachandra Singh questioned whether the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly 'is still alive or already dead' or 'constitutionally deemed to be dissolved from midnight' of February 11, two days prior to the imposition of President's Rule.
'The last sitting of the 60-member House was held on August 12, 2024, and according to Article 174(1) of the Constitution of India, the next sitting ought to have been mandatorily held on or before February 11. However, Mr. Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister on February 9, and on that day, the Governor declared his January 24 order summoning the Assembly for February 11 to be null and void,' said Congress spokesperson and advocate Ningombam Bupenda Meitei.
Mr. Meitei was part of a four-member delegation from the Congress's legal department that submitted the memorandum at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. The other members included Wahidur Rahman, S. Shyamacharan, and L. Brojen Singh.
The delegation noted that the Assembly was not in suspension at the time of the Chief Minister's resignation, and thus Article 174(1) — which mandates that no more than six months should elapse between two sittings of a Legislative Assembly — remained applicable.
The Congress said the Governor's February 9 order effectively 'circumvented the rigours of Article 174(1)' and further delayed the Assembly's sitting beyond the constitutionally permitted time frame.
The party asked the Governor to clarify whether the 12th Legislative Assembly has remained 'alive', 'dead', or 'dissolved' since February 12. It also sought to know whether the Governor would now be 'constitutionally barred from summoning the sitting for the next session' of the current Assembly's remaining term.
The memorandum added that any gubernatorial action or order requiring a new Chief Minister to undergo a floor test 'would tantamount to the violation of Article 174(1)'.
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