Buzz over President's Rule in Manipur grows as BJP remains undecided on next CM after Biren Singh's resignation

Guwahati: The buzz over President's Rule in Manipur grew on Tuesday as the ruling BJP remained undecided on who will become the next Chief Minister even three days after Biren Singh's resignation.  

BJP's in-charge of Manipur, Sambit Patra and president of the party's state unit, Sharda Devi met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the afternoon after having separate meetings with MLAs and at least three contenders for the top post.

Minister Thongam Biswajit was the among the first to meet Patra in a hotel at Imphal followed by Speaker Thockchom Satyabrata Singh and minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.

Patra also held a meeting with Biren Singh, who has been acting as caretaker CM since Sunday. As no official announcement came--either from BJP or from Raj Bhavan--apprehension about President's Rule deepened.  

Satyabrata and Khemchand are believed to be Biren's internal critics while Biswajit was a strong contender for the CM's post in 2022 when BJP formed the government for the second straight term. In fact, Biswajit, who joined BJP from Trinamool in 2015, brought Biren from Congress to BJP in 2016. But the party's decision to make Biren CM for the second term left Biswajit upset.   

Patra has been camping in Manipur since Sunday when Biren Singh tendered his resignation soon after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Governor asked Biren to remain as caretaker till "alternative arrangements" were made. Since then, BJP tried to decide a consensus candidate in order to avoid President's Rule. He also met MLAs of its allies National People's Party, Naga People's Front and Janta Dal (United).   

The BJP's inability to decide Biren's replacement may push the state towards President's Rule.     

According to section 174 of the Constitution, there can be a maximum gap of six months between two sessions of the Assembly. The last session ended on August 12 and the deadline will expire on Wednesday.

Opposition Congress, which planned to bring a no-confidence motion against Biren government in the Assembly on Monday, said they are not in favour of President's Rule and want a popular government to remian in power in the state grappling with the Meitei-Kuki conflict since May 2023.

BJP has 37 MLAs in the House of 60 but at least 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven belonging to BJP, have maintained a distance since the Meitei-Kuki conflict began in May 2023. But the party's worry increased when several MLAs skipped a meeting convened by Biren in November and later on Friday and many even urged the high command to find a replacement for Biren.

Biren quit a day before Congress's threat about no-confidence motion in the Assembly on Monday. On Sunday, Governor Bhalla declared his order for the Assembly session scheduled from February 10, "null and void."  All eyes are now on the Raj Bhavan.