Manipur: Former CM N. Biren Singh Travels to Delhi to Press for End to President’s Rule
New Delhi: Former Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh said he is visiting Delhi to press central BJP leaders for the “early formation of a popular government” in the state currently under President's Rule.
Speaking to the media at the Imphal airport before his departure on Saturday (October 4), Singh added that discussions would also focus on resolving the ongoing crisis, including the issue of internally displaced persons.
Biren Singh, who was accompanied by three MLAs from the Imphal valley – T. Robindro, Sapam Ranjan and H. Dingo Singh – is scheduled to meet with the BJP's Northeast co-ordinator Sambit Patra and is seeking an appointment with Union home minister Amit Shah.
This marks the first visit by the state's senior BJP leadership to the capital since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the violence-hit state on September 13.
The push for restoring an elected government, as confirmed by Singh, comes amid intense public pressure in Imphal. Sources within the BJP told The Wire that with the significant Ningol Chakouba festival approaching, the demand to end President's Rule in the state has grown louder.
Speaker Satyabrata Singh and other BJP MLAs are also expected to arrive in Delhi on Sunday.
The political situation in the state has been in flux since Biren Singh resigned on February 9, i.e. 649 days after the ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023.
President's Rule was imposed three days later, on February 13. At the time the state assembly was not dissolved but placed in suspended animation.
The move remains contentious, with the population in the predominantly Meitei Imphal valley largely opposing it, while many in the surrounding Kuki-majority hill districts prefer for it to continue until a ‘separate administration’ is granted.
BJP’s waning influence
Biren Singh's Delhi visit comes at a time when the BJP's political hold in Manipur appears to be weakening. The party, which once claimed the support of 44 MLAs, has seen its base erode significantly.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it lost both the Inner and Outer Manipur seats to the Congress.
All seven Kuki MLAs from the BJP withdrew their support following the outbreak of violence.
This erosion of support was further highlighted by the recent defection of two former BJP MLAs, L. Radhakishore Singh and Y. Surchandra Singh, who joined the Congress.
Speaking to The Wire, Surchandra Singh, a three-time MLA, accused the party of having “betrayed the people of Manipur”. He characterised the state administration under his former party as “simply a puppet” of the Union government.
Voicing a deep sense of alienation and perceived neglect on New Delhi's part, he said: “As the situation goes on for longer, as we go on analysing, it looks like that the Modi-led government, the BJP government, don't consider Manipur as a part of India.”
When asked why they quit the party after more than two years of violence, Singh said: “The people of Manipur had hope in them, but now everyone has lost hope, and they no longer have any support on the ground. I tried reaching out to my party leaders to discuss the issue, but it seems they don’t care about Manipur.”
More than 260 lives have been lost in the violence, and even after Modi’s visit to Manipur, people are still struggling to survive in relief camps.
Meiteis and Kukis remain virtually segregated from each other by ‘buffer zones’ patrolled by security forces.
This article went live on October fourth, two thousand twenty five, at three minutes past nine at night.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
