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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Claiming support of 44 MLAs, 10 NDA legislators meet Manipur Governor seeking ‘popular govt' in state
A group of 10 NDA MLAs met Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, and later said that they had cited the support of 44 MLAs for the formation of a popular government in the state. The 10 MLAs are BJP's Yumnam Radheshyam Singh, Thockchom Radheshyam Singh, Lourembam Rameshwar Meitei, Thangjam Arunkumar, Kh. Raghumani Singh, Kongkham Robindro Singh, and Paonam Brojen Singh; Sheikh Noorul Hassan and Janghemliung from the NPP; and Independent Sapam Nishikanta. Nine of the MLAs are from the Meitei-majority Valley, while Panmei is a Naga. 'We went and gave the opinion of 44 MLAs – given the way things have gone and the pressure from the public, we expressed to the Governor that it's the right time to install a popular government. President's Rule is an emergency move, and it should be the last option. If the new popular government fails, you can reimpose President's Rule again in full throttle,' Thockchom Radheshyam Singh, one of the 10 MLAs, told The Indian Express. He said they invoked the support of all the MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly except the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs and five Congress MLAs. The Manipur Legislative Assembly has 60 seats, of which one is vacant owing to the death of an MLA. On April 29, a group of 21 NDA MLAs had submitted letters to both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister seeking the installation of a popular government in the state. These did not include former CM N Biren Singh or the circle of MLAs close to him. The 10 MLAs who met the Governor on Wednesday were among the 21. In the April 29 letter, they had written that there had been 'no visible actions to bring peace and normalcy in the state' since the imposition of President's Rule on February 13, and that 'installation of a popular government is the only means to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur.' 'We also handed over that letter to the Governor to say that we had already written to the Prime Minister on this issue. All 44 MLAs are united in favour of the formation of a popular government in the state. We have to respect the demand from the public. We have not proposed the name of any individual to lead the government. The Centre can select a leader of its choosing. We had a very long discussion on the road ahead with the Governor, and he said that he would look into the matter,' said Radheshyam. Sheikh Noorul Hassan, one of the 10 MLAs, also said they have the support of 44 MLAs on the formation of a popular government. However, L Susindro Meitei, one of the MLAs close to Biren Singh, claimed to be unaware of the development. 'I have no knowledge of the political development which unfolded today. However, it is very inappropriate for a group of legislators to stake claim just by claiming to have a majority. Normally, this is something to be done by the party's legislature leader. But we appreciate that they have highlighted the prevailing grievances in the state.'
India Gazette
23-05-2025
- India Gazette
Manipur assembly speaker Satyabrata Singh attends 5th State Level Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul
Ukhrul (Manipur) [India], May 23 (ANI): The 5th State Level Shirui Lily Festival is currently being celebrated in Shirui village of Ukhrul district in Manipur, drawing public participation and official presence. The festival, now in its third day on Friday, witnessed the attendance of Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, along with several MLAs. On Wednesday, the Manipur Governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, inaugurated the 5th edition of the Shirui Lily Festival 2025 at Shirui Village in Ukhrul district. During the ceremony, Governor Bhalla expressed his happiness and said, 'I am very happy that I have come here; it's truly worth visiting this place. I am also glad that we are organising the Shirui Festival after a gap of two years. Seeing the enthusiasm and participation among the community is very encouraging. It's a very good thing for the region and the state.' The festival celebrates the rare Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), found only in the Shirui Hills. The Governor described it as 'a living symbol of Manipur's ecological wealth and natural heritage.' He added, 'The state flower, Shirui Lily, is not just a pride for this Ukhrul region but for the entire state and the country.' Highlighting the importance of eco-tourism, Governor Bhalla said, 'This is an important eco-tourism attraction that we can promote well. Of course, we need to improve infrastructure, but with a focused government approach, I am hopeful that in the coming years, this place will become a key destination on India's tourism map--and even globally.' Marking the 75th anniversary of the Shirui Lily's discovery, the festival aims to promote sustainable tourism and environmental awareness. It brings together locals, indigenous tribes, and visitors from across India and abroad to experience the vibrant culture of the Tangkhul Nagas through traditional dance, music, handloom and handicraft exhibitions, and local cuisine. The delicate Shirui Lily blooms only in the unique microclimate of the Shirui Hills and cannot be grown elsewhere, making this region its only sanctuary. The Governor reminded all, 'For this year, our message is to bring peace back to the state. The theme is celebrating peace and harmony in diversity.' The Shirui Lily Festival 2025 stands as a vibrant celebration of nature, culture, and community, inspiring all to protect and preserve the unique heritage it represents. The event continues to foster unity and environmental awareness, promising a brighter and more sustainable future for generations to come.(ANI)
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Day of marathon meetings as Sambit Patra lands in Manipur amid calls to form ‘popular govt'
Amidst renewed political rumblings in Manipur, the BJP's Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra arrived in the state on Monday and conducted marathon meetings, including with former chief minister N Biren Singh and Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Th. Satyabrata Singh. Patra was last in the state to oversee Biren's resignation in February and had met with MLAs across NDA parties in the valley during the interim period between his resignation and the imposition of President's Rule. The BJP 's formal position is that President's Rule was imposed because no one staked claim then to form government. This present visit comes less than a week after 21 NDA MLAs from the state wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging that a popular government be restored in the state. These MLAs did not include Biren and the circle of MLAs close to him. While Speaker Satyabrata was not one of the signatories of the letter, he is a key leader many of the signatories are rallying around for the formation of a new government. Patra landed in Imphal International Airport around 9 am on Monday and immediately flew to Churachandpur district on a chopper. There, he reportedly had a joint meeting with two Kuki-Zo MLAs, Vungzagin Valte and LM Khaute, and also met with leaders of civil society organisations. After returning from Churachandpur, Patra headed straight to Biren's residence and had a closed-door meeting which lasted for over an hour. Later, he visited the Yaiskul residence of Speaker Satyabrata and then met former minister Y Khemchand Singh. He also held a series of meetings with MLAs, including from other NDA parties. MLAs part of Biren's close circle publicly denied that the discussions were about installing a popular government in the state. Speaking to The Indian Express, BJP MLA Y Sushindro said, 'Some of the ruling MLAs met Sambit Patra and discussed matters confronting the state, particularly ensuring free movement along the national highways for all. We also requested him to make sure that groups in the hills give up their arms like we did in the valley. No talks about formation of government was in the agenda today.'
Hans India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
21 MLAs urge PM Modi, HM Shah to reinstall popular govt in Manipur
Imphal: In a significant political development, 21 Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reinstate a popular government in the state. A group of MLAs went to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the office of the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted the letter, signed by 21 legislators. One of the MLAs on Wednesday confirmed the development and said that out of the 21 lawmakers, most belong to the BJP and the remaining are from the National People's Party (NPP), Naga People's Front (NPF) and two independent legislators. Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 13, four days after the resignation of N. Biren Singh from the Chief Minister's post. The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which, after the promulgation of President's Rule, has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027. The letter of the MLAs to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister said that the people of Manipur welcome the President's Rule with lots of hope and expectations, but no visible actions to bring peace and normalcy in the state have been seen so far. The letter said: 'There is a strong apprehension among the common people that the violence may recur again in the state. Many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have come out openly against the imposition of the President's Rule. They have been demanding the installation of a popular government in the state. These organisations have started organising public rallies, street corner meetings, instigating the general public, blaming the ruling MLAs for not staking claim to form a popular government and fixing responsibility for the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur.' The MLAs in their letter said that the installation of a popular government is the only means to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur. 'We assure you that we will work with full dedication and devotion to bring peace and normalcy in our state after the installation of a popular government,' the letter said. After the imposition of the President's Rule on February 13, this is the first major appeal to the Centre to reinstate the government. In a bid to resolve the two-year-long ethnic hostilities, the first tripartite meeting between the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the representatives of Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities was held in New Delhi on April 5. The six representatives of All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) took part in the tripartite meeting from the Meitei community. Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet led an eight-member delegation of Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in the meeting where MHA advisor for the northeast region, A.K. Mishra, and Joint Director, MHA, Rajesh Kamble, Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Additional Director General of Manipur Police Ashutosh Kumar Sinha, among others, were present. Over 250 people were killed, 1500 injured, and over 70,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March', organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The rioting also left thousands of houses, government and non-government properties, and religious installations destroyed or damaged.
