Imphal: A group of 44 MLAs are prepared to form a new government in Manipur, BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh announced on Wednesday following a meeting with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan.
Singh, accompanied by nine other MLAs, told reporters that they had communicated their readiness to the governor.
“Forty-four MLAs are prepared to form a government, reflecting the will of the people. We’ve informed the governor of our position and discussed possible solutions to the ongoing crisis,” Singh said.
He added that while the final call on staking a formal claim lies with the BJP’s central leadership, their message effectively indicates intent.
“Informing the governor of our readiness is akin to staking a claim. Speaker Th Satyabrata has also individually and collectively met with all 44 MLAs. There is no dissent regarding the formation of a new government,” Singh emphasised.
He also pointed to the state’s prolonged turmoil, saying, “The people of Manipur have endured immense suffering. Two years of the previous government’s term were lost to COVID-19, and the current term has been marred by conflict.”
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid widespread criticism of his handling of the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
The 60-member Assembly currently has 59 sitting members, with one seat vacant due to the death of a legislator.
The BJP-led coalition includes 32 Meitei MLAs, three Manipuri Muslim MLAs, and nine Naga legislators—together forming a bloc of 44.
The opposition Congress holds five seats, all Meiteis. The remaining 10 MLAs are Kukis—seven of whom were elected on BJP tickets, two from the Kuki People’s Alliance, and one Independent.
This political development comes amid escalating protests in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, triggered by an incident in Gwaltabi on May 20, where security personnel allegedly concealed the state’s name on a government bus windshield.
Meitei civil society groups have demanded an apology from the governor and the resignation of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor.
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The ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 has claimed over 250 lives so far.
While Meitei organisations insist on preserving the state’s territorial integrity as non-negotiable, Kuki-Zo groups continue to push for a separate administrative arrangement for the hill districts they inhabit.
The Gwaltabi controversy has reignited tensions just as the situation in Manipur was beginning to stabilise, aided by several measures initiated by the central government to restore peace.
