New Delhi | Former minister Y Khemchand Singh was elected the leader of the NDA legislature party in Manipur on Tuesday, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the northeastern state with him as chief minister.
Nemcha Kipgen, a woman Kuki leader and former minister, is likely to be the deputy chief minister in the new Manipur government when it is formed, sources said.
The BJP legislature party of Manipur elected 62-year-old Singh as its leader at a meeting held at the BJP headquarters here. It was attended by 35 of the 37 BJP MLAs, besides the party's central observer Tarun Chugh, its northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, and BJP state president A Sharda Devi, among others.
Kipgen (60) was also chosen to be the deputy chief minister in the new government.
The two BJP MLAs who did not attend the meeting were unwell.
Subsequently, another meeting was held at the Manipur Bhavan, where MLAs of NDA constituents in Manipur -- six of National People's Party (NPP), five of Naga People's Front (NPF) and three Independents -- and BJP legislators were in attendance. They endorsed Singh as the leader and Kipgen as the deputy leader of the NDA legislature party.
According to sources, there is a proposal to appoint a Naga MLA as another deputy chief minister, but there is no official word on this yet.
The NDA may stake a claim to form a government by meeting the governor as early as tomorrow, sources indicated.
Independent MLA Sapam Nishikant Singh, who is part of the NDA and attended the second meeting, said Y Khemchand Singh has cordial relations with all three major communities in Manipur -- the Meiteis, Kukis and the Nagas -- and hence he was the natural choice for the leader of the NDA legislature party.
"There will be good days, and peace will come to Manipur," he said.
The two meetings were held days ahead of the expiry of the second spell of the President's rule on February 12. Former chief minister N Biren Singh and Assembly speaker Satyabrata Singh were present at both the meetings.
Manipur has been under President's rule since February 13, 2025. The 60-member Assembly, which has tenure till 2027, was put on suspended animation after President's rule was imposed.
Currently, there are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur. Initially, 32 BJP candidates had won the 2022 assembly elections. The JD(U) had won six seats, and five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP.
Among others, six are from the NPP, five from the NPF, five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance, one from Janata Dal (United) and three Independents. One seat is vacant following the death of a sitting MLA.
Over the past few months, the BJP's central leadership held several rounds of meetings with its Meitei and Kuki MLAs, allies NPF and NPP and a few Independent legislators to gauge their views on whether the political situation was conducive for the formation of a popular government, the sources said.
On December 14, the BJP's national general secretary (organisation), B L Santhosh, and Sambit Patra met BJP MLAs from the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Delhi under one roof.
President's rule was imposed in the state after the BJP-led government headed by Biren Singh resigned on February 9 last year, following months of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities.
After the imposition of the President's rule, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla took a number of steps to restore peace and bring back normalcy, including asking those who looted arms from security forces to surrender them.
The violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities started in May 2023 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes status.
At least 260 people lost their lives, and thousands were displaced during the violence.
