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A senior BJP leader said the Manipur chief minister did not have support from his own MLAs who were forced to live in fear in the violence-hit state
Manipur CM N Biren Singh handed over his resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla. (IMAGE: SOURCED)
The last time Biren Singh tried to step down as Manipur’s chief minister, a huge crowd outside his official residence forced him to withdraw his resignation. There is no such crowd this time and Singh is finally out, closing at least one chapter in the 21-month crisis that has engulfed the north-eastern state.
For some, Singh has just acted on a long-pending demand. For others, it is a sign that the BJP-led central government is moving towards a resolution for the strife-torn state.
Though most MLAs have been asked to desist from commenting on the situation, Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, BJP’s Manipur president, said Singh decided to resign in the interest of the state.
“He has been handling the state well since 2017. Given the present situation, he told the Union government that integrity and peace must be maintained in Manipur, and thus decided to resign. He has sacrificed his post for Manipur. It is wrong to say that any BJP MLA was with Congress.”
Brij Kishore Singh, joint secretary of ST Demand Committee of Manipur which began a movement demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) rights for Meiteis, told News18: “We are surprised but we think the Centre now seriously wants to resolve the Manipur issue. We have demanded ST rights and hope for the best.”
Speaking to News18, Jitendra Singh, former chief of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) — a civic body of Meiteis — said: “Singh tried everything but things were not falling into place. COCOMI had demanded settlement of the issue. A decision has been taken considering various sides but I believe this may not solve the problem.”
Ginza Vualzong, the spokesperson of Kuki Zo Council (KZC), an apex body of major Kuki-Zo organisations, told News18: “It might be drama from Singh’s side as he has done this earlier. We have our reservations. He was responsible for a lot of killings so thedecisionn is good.
A senior BJP leader, meanwhile, said Singh did not have support from his own MLAs. “No solution has come for the past one-and-a-half years. Residences of even MLAs and ministers were not safe. Public representatives had to build bunkers in their residences. In such a situation, the chief minister did not have support from his own MLAs.”
The Congress camp, however, was upbeat and termed it their endeavour that finally led to Singh’s ouster.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X to say: “The Congress was all set to move a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers in the Manipur Assembly tomorrow [Monday]. Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned. This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023, when Manipur erupted.”
The Congress was all set to move a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers in the Manipur Assembly tomorrow. Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned. This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023,…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 9, 2025
Sources told News18 that strict instructions have been given to BJP MLAs to not speak on the issue. Even Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a vocal critic of the chief minister’s handling of the strife in Manipur, has made no comments so far on his decision to quit.
The sources added that while Singh’s resignation will stall the Opposition’s plan of no-confidence, a section of people still wants to protest but the administration is on high alert.
- Location :
Imphal, India, India
