Not just an ethnic crisis | How failure to find consensus on CM face forced BJP to go for President's Rule in Manipur

Guwahati: The ruling BJP was forced to recommend for President's Rule in the conflict-torn Manipur with the party failing to find a consensus candidate to replace CM Biren Singh due to rift among its MLAs, party insiders said.

A BJP MLA on Thursday told DH that at least four MLAs including the Speaker Thockchom Satyabrata Singh submitted a list of the legislators backing them and staked claim to be Biren Singh's successor. The party high command was left with no option with none being able to get the backing of the majority of the MLAs. This, according to the MLA, led Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to recommend the Centre for President's Rule.

Three ministers--Thongam Biswajit Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Thockchom Radheshaym Singh are the other contenders, whom BJP's in-charge of Northeast, Sambit Patra met separately more than once since Biren's resignation on February 9.

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.

Two other senior leaders, Govindad Konthoujam and Sharda Devi, the president of the party's Manipur unit, reportedly backed Biren and stretched for a pro-Biren MLA to become the new CM, sources said.

Patra was 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. Biren quit as the Opposition Congress decided to move a no-confidence motion in the Assembly on February 10.

Since then, BJP tried hard for a consensus candidate in order to avoid President's Rule. Patra also met MLAs of its allies National People's Party, Naga People's Front and Janata Dal (United) and also talked over phone with 10 Kuki MLAs including seven belonging to BJP. The 10 MLAs have been maintaining distance since the Meitei-Kuki conflict erupted in May 2023. The 10 MLAs openly demanded Biren's removal.

Congress blames Centre:

Hours before the notification for the President's Rule was issued, Keisham Meghachandra Singh, president of the Manipur unit of Congress, on Thursday blamed the Centre for the political crisis in Manipur and the conflict. "Biren Singh should have been removed much earlier to avoid this political instability and the constitutional crisis. Manipur needs a popular government in this hour of crisis but BJP failed the people of the conflict-torn state," he told reporters at Imphal.