Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh (image-X/NBirenSingh)
Manipur: BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh stated that 44 MLAs are ready to form a new government in Manipur. This comes after a delegation of ten MLAs met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Wednesday.
The ten-member delegation included eight BJP MLAs, one from the National People’s Party (NPP), and one independent MLA, Sapam Nishikanta Singh, who stated that they demanded the governor to facilitate the formation of a “popular” and stable government in the interest of the troubled state.
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“All the NDA MLAs are keen on the installation of a popular government in the interest of Manipur,” Singh told reporters. “We gave him a paper signed by 22 of us [MLAs]. This is the same paper that we gave to the Prime Minister. Some are not here but everybody is, by and large, together in this. Everyone wants a popular government. It is for the welfare of the people.”
The Manipur Assembly has 60 seats, and a majority requires at least 31 MLAs. Radheshyam Singh claimed that 44 MLAs are ready to come together, suggesting a clear majority for the new government if allowed to be formed.
The push for a new government follows the February 13 imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, which came days after former Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned ahead of a scheduled floor test. The state has been under central rule since then amid ongoing ethnic violence and civil unrest.
The MLAs’ meeting with the governor comes a day after Biren Singh’s own meeting with Bhalla to discuss the state’s ongoing unrest, especially after the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) launched a “civil disobedience campaign” and public boycott of the governor.
COCOMI has accused the administration of undermining Manipur’s identity following an incident where security personnel allegedly instructed the removal of “Manipur State Transport” signage from a state-run bus. Amid rallies and protests, the committee has demanded the governor’s apology and the resignations of the chief secretary, security advisor, and DGP, claiming they are responsible for “undermining” Manipur’s identity, name, pride, and respect.
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Since ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, over 250 people have died, and more than 60,000 have been displaced, severely destabilising governance and peace in the state.
While the state government has launched a probe into the signage incident, COCOMI has held its ground, and public protests — including torchlight marches and sit-ins — continue in the valley districts.
