GUWAHATI: Speculation is rife in ethnic violence-hit Manipur over the possible formation of a new government, with the state remaining under President’s Rule since 13 February this year.
The buzz was triggered by the “sudden” visit of BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh and the party’s Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra to the state. The two leaders arrived in Imphal on Wednesday for a two-day visit, following demands from BJP legislators for the formation of a “popular government.”
A BJP legislator said the two central leaders had come to “guide” the state’s leadership in the run-up to the Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held in early 2027.
“They interacted with different groups of people and party MLAs. They came to guide us so that we perform well in the 2027 elections,” the BJP legislator said, requesting anonymity.
“They said with conviction that the government will be formed and asked us to remove any other notion that we may have. They said we will go to elections with our own government,” the MLA further stated.
He, however, added that he had no idea when the government would be formed. The legislator dismissed media reports suggesting that Santhosh and Patra’s visit was aimed at reaching a consensus on the chief ministerial candidate. “There was no discussion at all on the matter,” he said.
During their visit, Santhosh and Patra also interacted with eminent personalities in Imphal on Wednesday before travelling to Kuki-majority Churachandpur and Naga-majority Senapati districts on Thursday.
In Churachandpur, they met party leaders and visited a relief camp where they distributed relief materials to internally displaced persons and interacted with children. In Senapati, they attended a meeting with village chiefs and members of the Development Council of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, where local BJP leaders were also present.
Manipur was placed under President’s Rule after the BJP failed to reach a consensus on a successor to N. Biren Singh, who had resigned as Chief Minister on 9 February. His resignation came just a day before his government was due to face a no-confidence motion and a floor test.
The resignation followed nearly two years of ethnic violence that began in May 2023 and left the state internally divided. Over 260 people have been killed and around 60,000 others displaced since the unrest began. A large majority of the displaced continue to stay in relief camps.
Singh’s resignation came amid mounting pressure from the Opposition, which had been demanding his removal over his alleged failure to restore peace in the state.