Buzz Over New Manipur Government Formation After Governor, BJP Leaders Meet

In Manipur, a meeting between senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has fuelled speculation over the possible formation of a new government in the state. 

On Sunday, Governor Bhalla convened an urgent high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan in Imphal. Those present included former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, BJP's state unit president A Sharda Devi, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and several BJP legislators.

Twenty-three BJP MLAs, led by Biren Singh, attended the meeting. The closed-door discussions lasted about 40 minutes. While the official agenda was not made public, senior BJP figures suggested the deliberations centred on the administrative and political preparedness for PM Modi's scheduled visit to the Northeast, including a possible stop in Imphal.

Manipur has been under President's Rule following months of violent unrest that left more than 260 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. The absence of an elected government has led to demands, both within and outside the state, for the restoration of a popular administration to stabilise governance.

The violence, which erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei community - dominant in the Imphal Valley - and Kuki-Zo tribes in the hill districts, has claimed more than 260 lives. Nearly 50,000 people remain internally displaced, many living in temporary camps with limited access to resources.

At the core of the tensions is the Meitei demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category, a move opposed by the Kukis who argue it would further marginalise them. The Kuki groups, citing longstanding discrimination and uneven allocation of resources, have been pressing for a separate administrative arrangement, further complicating the situation.