Amid fresh rumblings in Manipur BJP, CM Biren braces for stormy Assembly session, lan
Amid fresh rumblings in Manipur BJP, CM Biren braces for stormy Assembly session, lands in Delhi
M.U.H
06/02/2025132
Ahead of the upcoming Manipur Assembly session, the simmering discontent among a section of the ruling BJP MLAs has again surfaced, even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh left for Delhi Wednesday.
The CM’s trip to the national capital comes soon after state Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Y Khemchand Singh, a known Biren critic, travelled to Delhi after being reportedly summoned by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Last week, Manipur Speaker and BJP leader Th. Satyabrata Singh had also met Shah in Delhi.
Days before the Assembly session beginning February 10, several state BJP leaders, who have been upset with both Biren’s leadership and the party-led Centre’s management of the Manipur crisis, have again started putting pressure on the party leadership.
Without spelling out their proposed course of action, one of the dissident BJP MLAs from the valley said: “For the last two years, neither the state leadership nor the Centre has come up with a roadmap for peace and they are just diverting attention by saying that ‘we will seal the border’, ‘we will implement the NRC’ or ‘launch a war on drugs’. But the main issue is the restoration of peace and normalcy. We are saying that if there is no change in this before the Assembly session begins, something big and unprecedented will happen during the session.”
Another BJP MLA said: “More than two-thirds of the BJP MLAs are not happy with the current leadership. So everyone is going to make some move in the interest of the public and the state. The turmoil is intolerable. We cannot wait anymore.”
Manipur has been roiled by a conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos since May 3, 2023, which has killed over 250 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
The 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs of the 60 member Manipur Assembly have not been attending its sessions since the start of the ethnic strife, and are not expected to attend the upcoming session too. National People’s Party (NPP) MLA N Kayisii passed away last month. The remaining MLAs comprise 30 BJP members, five members of its ally Naga People’s Front, one from another NDA ally Janata Dal (United), two Independents, five Congress members and six from the NPP which withdrew support from the Biren government last year.
Amidst the fresh political churn, the Congress said it was “observing” dissension within the BJP.
“We do not have the numbers to move a no-confidence motion but we are told that there is internal bickering within the BJP and more than 10 MLAs are against the Chief Minister. Our Political Advisory Committee is taking stock of the situation and we are observing it. We will take the right step at the right time and do what it takes to restore stability to Manipur,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Manipur, Girish Chodankar.
Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra said a proposal for bringing a no-confidence motion would be discussed, among other things, in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting to be held on the eve of the session. “We are discussing the matter and are going to have our CLP meeting before the session, after which we will decide our future course of action. At the same time, the BJP has a divided house at present,” he said.
At the same time, Congress veteran and ex-CM Okram Ibobi Singh has alleged that Biren has “threatened” the MLAs against moving and supporting a no-confidence motion against his government.
However, sources in the central BJP ruled out any change of guard in Manipur in the near future. They pointed out that in the North Eastern Council meeting held in Agartala last December, Shah had clarified that Biren would continue in his post and that with both the Centre and the state focusing on strengthening the border security, other CMs in the region should also support their Manipur counterpart in the mission.
“Following the appointment of former Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla as Manipur Governor, who is now directly monitoring the developments there, the Centre is in the process of bringing back normalcy in Manipur. The NIA is arresting anyone who is creating troubles, both from Meiteis and Kukis. The message is clear. So any change at the top is highly unlikely,” said the source.
Since he took over as the Governor last month, Bhalla has initiated a series of measures to strengthen governance. A major reshuffle has taken place in the administration and even the chief secretary has been replaced.
Biren’s visit to Delhi is to “seek the Centre’s support for the infrastructure projects that have resumed in the state”, sources said, adding that the CM is expected to push for more funds for the infrastructure and security measures in Manipur.
Disqualification proceedings
Nine MLAs backing the Biren government are currently facing disqualification proceedings. Five MLAs elected on the JD(U) tickets had defected to the BJP in 2022 (including two Kuki-Zo MLAs), following which the Congress filed a petition before the Speaker for their disqualification. The matter was taken up by the Speaker in 2024. After a hearing in the matter Tuesday, the Speaker scheduled the final hearing for February 7.
“The Speaker has speedily scheduled the next hearing before the Assembly session so this is a good development,” said Meghachandra.
The Congress has also filed a petition seeking disqualification of four of the six NPP MLAs. According to sources, despite NPP National President Conrad Sangma’s bid to withdraw support to the Manipur government, five NPP MLAs wrote to the Speaker saying that they wanted to sit among the Treasury members in the next session.
“The Speaker sought the reply of the NPP national president who asked that arrangements be made for them to sit in the Opposition benches,” said the sources.
