Newly elected MLAs in Manipur take oath as BJP remains undecided on CM candidate

All 60 newly-elected MLAs in Manipur took oath on Monday even as BJP remained undecided over who will become the new Chief Minister, four days after winning absolute majority.

Senior BJP MLA, S. Rajen Singh, who was appointed as protem Speaker, administered the oath to all the MLAs in the Assembly Conference Hall at Imphal.

Of the 60 MLAs, 32 belongs to BJP, seven to the National People's Party, six of JD (U), five each from Congress and Naga People's Front, two from Kuki People's Alliance and three Independents. The Assembly has 20 new faces.

Five women, three belonging to BJP and one each from NPP and KPA, who were elected as MLAs this time also took oath on Monday. In 2017, only two women (one BJP, one Congress) got elected as MLAs.

The new MLAs, however, remained unclear whether N. Biren Singh would become the CM again or the party would pick up a new face for the post.

Although Biren Singh emerged as a strong leader by leading the BJP to the absolute majority in Manipur for the first time, sources in the party said it was not Biren alone whose leadership helped to counter Congress and its allies, which put up candidates against the saffron party. They took the names of senior minister Th. Biswajit Singh and Konthoujam Govindas Singh, a veteran leader in Congress, switched over to BJP in 2020.

They, however, suggested that the high command is unlikely to make a decision like Assam, where BJP replaced Sarbananda Sonowal with senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after the results last year. Sonowal was replaced despite having not much dissidence within the party. Sonowal was later made a cabinet minister at the Centre.

Biren, they said, has the strong backing of MLAs, including in the hills where BJP got six out of 20 seats. The party won five seats in the hills in 2017.

BJP on Monday appointed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju as central observers for election of the new legislator party leader in Manipur.

NPF, JD (U) and three Independent MLAs have already offered to support the BJP government. Biren Singh, however, has said that NPP would no longer be in the new government. NPP was a partner of the BJP-led government since 2017.

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