GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: Even as the suspense over who will be Manipur’s next Chief Minister continues, caretaker CM N Biren Singh’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday triggered speculation about him continuing in the post.
“Met Shri @NBirenSingh Ji and congratulated him on @BJP4Manipur’s stupendous victory in the recently concluded Assembly Polls. Our Party is committed to working even harder to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Manipur,” Modi tweeted.
The meeting comes a day after Singh, senior Manipur minister Thongam Biswajit, who is a contender for the post, and the party’s state chief A Sharda Devi arrived in Delhi after being summoned by the central leadership ahead of the selection of the next CM candidate.
BJP sources close to the party’s decision-making body indicated that the “status quo” would continue, underscoring the success the BJP achieved under the “earlier arrangement”.
“Only three persons – Modiji, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shahji and Naddaji (BJP chief JP Nadda) – will decide who will become the next CM,” a BJP central leader told The New Indian Express.
BJP sources said the name of the CM candidate would be decided and officially announced after the meeting of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju with the party’s Manipur MLAs.
The duo was scheduled to arrive in Imphal on Wednesday. The visit has been delayed.
Nadda and BJP general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh held a meeting with Singh, Biswajit and Sharda Devi on Tuesday. The three Manipur leaders are still in the national capital, waiting for further instructions. Santhosh is likely to meet them individually on Wednesday evening or Thursday, BJP sources said.
The BJP had secured majority by winning 32 of the state’s 60 seats and is in a position to form the government on its own. However, Singh had earlier stated the BJP would align with like-minded parties.