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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur BJP legislators push for government formation
The Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs in Manipur have renewed their push to end President's Rule in the State and form a popular government that can focus on peace and development. Fifteen MLAs held a meeting with State BJP president, Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, and other party leaders on Saturday (May 31, 2025) to discuss the possibility of 'meeting the expectations of the people to have a democratically elected popular government' in Manipur soon. The meeting at the State party headquarters came less than 24 hours after 28 BJP legislators converged at the official residence of former Minister Thongam Biswajit in Imphal on Friday evening. The BJP has 37 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, seven of whom belong to the Kuki-Zo community. Those seven MLAs have not set foot in Imphal since May 2023, when an ethnic conflict broke out between the Meiteis, who dominate the State capital and the valley beyond, and the Kuki-Zo tribes, claiming more than 250 lives and displacing about 60,000 people. Appeal to BJP Central leadership One of the BJP MLAs said the discussion revolved around meeting the party's Central leadership and proceeding to form the government according to the Constitution of India and the constitution of the BJP. 'We desire a government that can focus on development and sustainable peace. Everything depends on our Central leadership,' Ms. Devi told journalists after the meeting. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13, days after Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister and the BJP failed to reach a consensus on his successor. 'Undermining Manipur's identity' The bid to form the government gained momentum after the May 20 bus incident plunged the Imphal Valley back into chaos. Protestors demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the resignation of the State's top three officials – the Chief Secretary, the Security Advisor, and the Director General of Police – for 'undermining the identity of Manipur, its name, pride, and respect'. Their anger was against security forces personnel for making a team of journalists travelling to the Shirui Lily Festival in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on the windscreen of the bus they were in. A team of 10 NDA legislators — including two from the National People's Party led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and an independent — met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan on May 29 to urge him to pave the way for a popular government.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
After huddle, 23 Manipur BJP MLAs ‘resolve' to form ‘popular' govt
Twenty-three BJP MLAs of Manipur held a meeting Friday, after which they issued a statement saying that they 'resolved to put aside personal ambitions' in the 'larger interest' of working towards the formation of a popular government in the state, which has been under President's rule since February 13 with the state Assembly being in suspended animation. The BJP has a total of 37 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, of whom seven are from the Kuki-Zo community and were not a part of the Friday meeting. While the signatories of its statement did not include former chief minister N Biren Singh or Speaker Th. Satyabrata Singh, they included party MLAs who had rebelled against Biren as well as those who had backed him till his resignation on February 9. Satyabrata Singh had been one of the major dissidents against Biren Singh. This meeting came two days after a group of 10 NDA MLAs met Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla in the Imphal Raj Bhavan on May 28, claiming that they have the support of 44 MLAs for the formation of a popular government in the state. 'Acknowledging the deep public desire to see the formation of a popular government, we discussed pathways to achieve this with unity and selflessness. We resolved to put aside personal ambitions in the larger interest of the state, its people, and the vision of the BJP and its alliance partners in Manipur,' said a statement issued after the meeting. It also stated, 'As elected representatives, we are united in our firm belief that a long-term solution to the crisis is both possible and necessary… we thoroughly examined mechanisms for inclusive dialogue involving representatives of all communities in Manipur. We strongly support the establishment of a neutral dialogue platform to facilitate constructive mediation between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, aimed at building trust and consensus on critical issues.' It also stated that the idea of approaching the Governor or the BJP central leadership to appoint a 'neutral peace envoy or a panel of eminent persons, comprising voices from both within and outside Manipur' was proposed in the meeting. The statement also emphasised on the need for 'inter-community people-to-people dialogue at the grassroots level' and for the recovery of looted weapons 'both in the hills and valley.' Manipur has been roiled by a conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos since May 3, 2023, which has killed over 250 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Manipur, push for a return to popular government is understandable
Since the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur on February 13, the state assembly has remained in suspended animation, following the BJP's failure to reach a consensus on a successor to former chief minister N Biren Singh. As the assembly has not been dissolved, it retains the possibility of being revived when the prevailing conditions allow for the formation of a government. Reflecting growing discontent with the present standstill, a group of 10 NDA MLAs met Governor Ajay Bhalla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, urging the formation of a 'popular government' in the state. They claimed the support of 44 legislators in the 60-member Assembly (one seat currently lies vacant). However, the revocation of President's Rule appears unlikely in the near future — almost 25 months into the ethnic conflict, it is telling that peace remains the immediate priority, not government formation. On April 29, the same 10 MLAs, along with 11 other NDA legislators, had written to the Centre with a similar demand. Their push for a return to a popular government is understandable — after all, the BJP won a mandate in the 2022 Assembly election. The difficulty, however, lies in the nature of the proposed arrangement, which does not include representation for the Kuki-Zo communities. By their own admission, those who claim the support of 44 MLAs have not included the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs — seven of whom were elected on BJP tickets. The supposed consensus behind the push for a return of popular government, thus, reflects a consensus among the Meiteis, but not between the Meiteis and Kukis. The Centre's hesitation to revoke President's Rule acknowledges the persisting instability in the state — illustrated by the unrest in Imphal less than two weeks ago between protesters and security forces, over the alleged instructions to cover the word 'Manipur' on a state-run transport bus (Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh has expressed regret and announced an inquiry into the incident). While there is some consolation in the fact that there has been no violent standoff between the two communities in recent weeks, significant challenges remain — of rebuilding trust, addressing grievances, and tackling the structural issues that lie at the heart of the conflict. An estimated 3,000 looted weapons remain un-recovered. Thousands of displaced persons remain in relief camps. Kukis and Meiteis continue to be segregated between hill and valley. Only an inclusive political process that brings all stakeholders to the table can offer a path to lasting peace. Without such a process, even a well-intentioned return to a popular government risks another cycle of violence.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Manipur Governor reviews conditions of displaced persons amid ongoing ethnic violence
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla reviewed the overall conditions of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in various relief camps in the hills and the valley districts of Manipur. While chairing the meeting held at the conference hall of Raj Bhavan, Imphal, Governor along with Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners of all the districts, discussed the status with respect to the livelihood, skill development, medical support and education of the IDPs. The Deputy Commissioners gave a comprehensive briefing on several key initiatives taken up for the IDPs. Governor commended the efforts made and instructed the officials to enhance their initiatives. In Manipur, at least 258 people have been killed and over a thousand people injured in the ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 3, 2023. More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages who are staying in relief camps in different districts. The ethnic violence between the non-tribals Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Governor also chaired a meeting to review the flood related preparedness in the state. During the meeting, the Governor reviewed the overall preparedness with the stakeholders and agencies such as Water Resources Department, Relief & Disaster Management, MAHUD, PWD, Forest, CAF&PD and the Deputy Commissioners regarding their role and preparedness to control and mitigate floods. He also reviewed the drainage management system in crucial locations that are important in flood management. Representatives of NHPC also attended the meeting. Governor directed the stakeholders to exert their utmost efforts and ensure that effective measures are implemented to manage flood control.
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Manipur: No order issued to mask ‘state transport' sign on bus, says chief secretary
The Manipur government had not issued any instructions to cover the words 'Manipur State Transport' on a state-run bus on May 20, Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh said on Thursday. Singh said that the incident was 'deeply regretted' and that the state administration had taken it with utmost seriousness. 'The State will also ensure that such an incident does not occur in future,' the official. The chief secretary said that what transpired on the ground that day will become clear only after a thorough inquiry. He added that Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had formed an inquiry committee consisting of the home department commissioner and the information technology secretary which will present its findings on the matter in a time-bound manner. On May 20, central security forces allegedly stopped a group of 20 journalists in Imphal East district and directed them to hide the 'Manipur State Transport' sign on the government bus they were travelling in. The incident occurred at the Gwaltabi checkpoint in Imphal East while the group was travelling to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, a cultural event organised by the state tourism department, in the Naga-majority Ukhrul district. The route to the district passes through several Kuki villages. The team initially tried to comply with the direction. However, delays due to negotiations with the security forces forced them to cancel the trip and return to Imphal. A video of the 'Manipur State Transport' sign being covered was circulated widely on social media. On May 27, the student wing of Meitei civil society group Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity locked the offices of the chief electoral officer and the Geological Survey of India in Imphal West to protest the incident. Manipur has been mired in ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities that have killed at least 260 persons and displaced more than 59,000 persons since May 2023. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.
