3 days ago
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.
