Power play in Manipur again, 10 NDA MLAs meet governor, staking claim to form govt

The Print

2 days ago

The MLAs, who belong to the faction opposed to former chief minister N. Biren Singh, claim to have the support of 44 MLAs, including those known to be in the Biren camp, from among the 60 members in the Manipur assembly.
Manipur has been under the President's Rule since 13 February this year.
New Delhi: After a brief lull, politicking has started in Manipur again, with 10 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MLAs meeting Governor Ajay Bhalla Wednesday and staking claim to form the government in the state, ThePrint has learnt.
The list of 44 excludes 10 Kuki and five Congress MLAs. The 10 Kuki MLAs include seven MLAs from the BJP. While they have not withdrawn from the BJP, they, post the May 2023 ethnic conflict, have kept themselves aloof from any talks on government formation.
BJP MLA Thockchom Radheshyam Singh was among the 10 MLAs who met the Governor. He told ThePrint that 44 MLAs agreed on supporting a popular government. 'We conveyed to the Governor that the MLAs are ready to stake claim. It is the public sentiment also,' Thockchom Radheshyam Singh said.
However, an MLA from the Biren camp told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that he was unaware of any move to form the government. 'Nobody has reached out to me asking for my support,' the MLA said.
The meeting of the 10 MLAs comes a day after Biren Singh met the Governor to request him to carry forward the steps taken by his government to detect, identify, and deport illegal immigrants.
The six-month President's Rule will end 12 August this year. Under the President's Rule, the Manipur assembly was not dissolved but put in suspended animation. Currently, the 60-member assembly has 59 MLAs following the death of National People's Party (NPP) legislator N. Kayisii.
The BJP MLAs, including the seven Kuki-Zo MLAs, hold 32 assembly seats. Additionally, five Janata Dal (United) MLAs joined the BJP after the 2022 state polls, taking the party's effective strength to 37.
Of the remaining MLAs, five are from the Naga People's Front, a BJP ally.
After Kayisii's death, six MLAs remained in the assembly from the Conrad Sangma-led NPP, which earlier supported the Biren Singh government. However, in November 2024, the NPP MLAs withdrew their support.
Another former BJP ally, Kuki People's Alliance, has also sent two MLAs to the assembly. Besides, there are three Independent MLAs, five Congress MLAs, and a JD(U) MLA.
A second MLA, also present in the morning meeting with Bhalla Wednesday, said, 'The MLAs do not want the assembly to be kept in suspended animation any longer when the BJP continues to have a majority. There is a growing clamour for installing a popular government at the earliest.'
According to a senior state BJP leader, the Centre is under pressure from its party MLAs to end the President's Rule in Manipur. Last month, 21 MLAs, including 13 from the BJP, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the formation of the Manipur government.
However, the Centre is yet to take a call on revoking the President's Rule before the expiry of six months and forming a government before expected. The senior state BJP leader quoted earlier said the Centre's reluctance could be on account of the continuing factionalism within the Manipur unit of the BJP.
Of the two factions in the state, one supports Biren Singh and the other, led by Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, opposes the former chief minister. The latter, anti-Biren faction, is now claiming to have the support of 44 MLAs.
Manipur has been in turmoil since the ethnic conflict first rocked the state in May 2023. No large-scale violence has happened since the imposition of the President's Rule. The state, however, is yet to return to normalcy.
Manipur has now been divided on ethnic lines, with Kukis forced to leave the Valley and Meiteis gone from the hills.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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