5 days ago
Among the 10 seeking popular govt in Manipur, several spoke out against Biren Singh
A group of 10 Manipur MLAs — including seven from the BJP, two from the BJP's ally National People's Party (NPP), and an Independent — have claimed the support of 44 legislators to form a 'popular government' in the state that has been under President's Rule since February 13.
On Wednesday, the MLAs met Governor Ajay Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan to press their demand. Thockchom Radheshyam Singh, among the BJP MLAs who met the Governor, told The Indian Express that they had the support of all the legislators except the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs and the five Congress MLAs.
BJP
1. Thokchom Radheshyam Singh: A decorated former police officer — during the peak of the Manipuri insurgency in 1996, he survived an ambush after suffering seven bullet injuries, losing a colleague and six police personnel — Radheshyam Singh addressed the media on Wednesday following the meeting with the Governor.
Singh joined the BJP in 2016 after retiring from the police and made a splash in electoral politics the following year by defeating Congress heavyweight M Okendro and was promptly inducted into the N Biren Singh-led coalition government as the Education Minister. During his tenure, he was credited with initiatives in the education sector such as 'School Fagathansi (Let us improve schools)' and 'No Bag Day' on Saturdays. An outspoken leader, he was dropped from the Biren cabinet during a mid-term reshuffle in September 2020. Following this, a crack appeared in the BJP even as Radheshyam largely remained out of the picture amid the unfolding political drama in the state.
2. Paonam Brojen: One of the most senior BJP MLAs at the moment, he was elected in 2012 from the Wangjing Tentha constituency in Thoubal district on a Congress ticket. He was among the six Congress MLAs who resigned from the party in August 2020. He moved to the BJP in 2022 and was re-elected to the Assembly that year.
3. Kh Raghumani Singh: A retired IAS officer, Raghumani Singh is a relatively new entrant into politics and was elected to the Assembly from Uripok in Imphal West district in 2022. Along with Radheshyam Singh and seven other MLAs from the Meitei community, Raghumani Singh submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office in June 2023, saying that the 'public have lost complete faith in the present state government'. Two months earlier, he and others had resigned from various administrative and advisory positions in the Biren Singh government.
Radheshyam Singh: A two-time MLA, Radheshyam Singh is a professional medical doctor and was elected from Hiyanglam in Thoubal district in 2017 and 2022.
5. Khongkham Robindro Singh: At 37 years, he is one of the youngest MLAs in the current House and the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. The two-time MLA from the Mayang Imphal constituency was first elected to the Assembly in 2017, when he defeated veteran Congress leader Dr Kh Ratankumar Singh.
6. Thangjam Arunkumar: The MLA from Wangkhei in Imphal East district was elected in 2022 on a Janata Dal (United) ticket, edging out Okram Henry of the BJP by just 753 votes. Later that year, Arunkumar, who had a social activism background, switched over to the BJP along with four other party legislators.
7. Lourembam Rameshwor: Like Arunkumar, Rameshwor, the MLA from Keirao in Imphal East, also has a background in social activism. He was first elected to the seat in 2017 and retained it five years later.
NPP
1. Sheikh Noorul Hassan: He is the NPP's acting president in the state and one of its outspoken legislators. Hassan represents the Khetrigao constituency in Imphal East district and is also the leader of the seven-MLA-strong NPP legislature party.
2. Janghemlung Pamei: He is from the Naga community and was first elected to the Assembly in 2012 from Tamenglong, a predominantly Naga constituency, on a ticket of the Manipur State Congress Party. His effort to retain the seat five years later on a ticket of the Naga People's Front was unsuccessful, but he managed to win it back in 2020 for the NPP, defeating the BJP's Huri Golmei by 1,309 votes.
Independent
Sapam Nishikanta: Nishikanta is a businessman and aspired for a BJP ticket from the Keishamthong constituency in Imphal West. He joined the BJP in 2019 in New Delhi in the presence of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, but later decided to strike out on his own to fulfil his dream of being elected to the Assembly. Following his election from Keishamthong in 2022, Nishikanta wasted no time in throwing his weight behind the BJP. An outspoken leader, Nishikanta was among the nine Meitei MLAs — like Kh Raghumani Singh — who wrote to the PMO against the Biren Singh administration in 2023.
