- BJP appointed Tarun Chugh as observer for Manipur legislature party leader election
- Presidents Rule in Manipur will complete one year on February 13
- 37 BJP MLAs and allies discussed government formation in Delhi meetings
The BJP on Monday appointed its National General Secretary Tarun Chugh as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Manipur, indicating the possible formation of a government.
The President's Rule in the state bordering Myanmar, which saw Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence, will complete one year on February 13.
Several National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MLAs from Manipur are in Delhi to meet the BJP leadership and discuss government formation in Manipur.
The ruling BJP's MLAs will hold a big meeting at the party's national office at 3 pm on Tuesday. Another meeting of MLAs from the BJP's alliance partners will be held at Manipur Bhawan at 4 pm.
"The BJP Parliamentary Board has appointed Tarun Chugh, National General Secretary, as Central Observer for the election of the Legislature Party Leader in Manipur," BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh said in a statement on Monday.
President's Rule was imposed after former chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9, 2025. The 60-member state assembly, whose tenure is till 2027, was put under suspended animation, or inactive but not dissolved.
Manipur leaders who have arrived in Delhi include former chief minister N Biren Singh, assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh, and former minister Y Khemchand Singh. BJP state president A Sharda Devi is also in Delhi.
There are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur. Originally, a total of 32 BJP MLAs won the 2022 assembly elections. The JD(U) won six seats; five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP, taking its strength to 37.
Among the other MLAs, six are from the National People's Party (NPP), five from the Naga People's Front, five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) , one from Janata Dal (United) and three independents. There is one vacant seat following the death of an MLA.
Contrasting political signals, however, continue to emerge from different regions of the state. Some civil society organisations in a few districts in Manipur, where the Kuki tribes live, have given statements they will not support government formation in Manipur.
A section of the Kuki tribes wants to break away and form a separate administration for their own community, with negotiations being handled by two dozen insurgent groups under two umbrella organisations that signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement.
Though public pressure mounts for an end to prolonged political uncertainty and administrative paralysis, the divergence in positions between the Meitei community and some organisations of the Kuki tribes that have been leading the separate administration demand, remains a hurdle.
Ground Realities
While the Meiteis and Kukis have stopped fighting, Kuki tribe organisations have not expressed confidence of returning to the valley, citing their lived experiences of the May 2023 violence. Because of this condition, they have also not agreed on allowing Meitei IDPs to return to their homes and villages in Kuki-dominant districts.
Meitei civil society organisations say all internally displaced people should be made to return safely, while talks can go on. But Kuki leaders have demanded a political solution in the form of a separate administration before any other issues, including the return of thousands of people living in relief camps, can be discussed.
Meitei leaders have cited this condition to allege that Kuki leaders are engineering an ethnocentric homeland demand; the Meiteis' argument is that talks can go on while at the same time people living in difficult conditions in the camps can also return home since no territory is ethnic exclusive.
There's a realisation cutting across community lines in Manipur that with the benefit of heightened awareness and education about coexistence and the multi-ethnic character of the state, it wouldn't take long for peace to return only if a small section with vested interests are stopped from sabotaging the recovery.
Over 260 people were killed and 50,000 were internally displaced in the Manipur violence.
