The BJP on Tuesday elected Yumnam Khemchand Singh as the legislature party leader in Manipur. Khemchand will take oath as the next chief minister of Manipur.
Meanwhile, the state might have a woman deputy chief minister, with Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki leader and former minister, among the frontrunners for the post, PTI news agency reported citing sources.
The decision came after a meeting of BJP MLAs from Manipur held in Delhi, days ahead of the end of President’s rule in the northeastern state. Following the BJP MLAs’ meeting, NDA partners in Manipur also met Tuesday.
The BJP parliamentary board had on Monday appointed Tarun Chugh as the central observer for election of Manipur legislative party leader.
“On Sunday, all legislators were asked to come to Delhi for a meeting on Monday. All 37 MLAs are in Delhi for the meeting. The meeting was supposed to be held Monday evening but after the latest announcement about the central observer, we all received information saying that the meeting has been postponed to 3 pm tomorrow,” a state BJP leader told HT.
Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh had confirmed on Sunday last week that all NDA partners in the state had been called for a meeting in the National Capital.
“All NDA partners have been invited….Let’s hope for a positive response,” Singh told reporters, according to PTI news agency. “The government is a continuing process. I try my best to change the landscape in the state of Manipur,” he added.
Singh had stepped down as the chief minister of Manipur last year, following which President’s rule was imposed in the northeastern state on February 13, 2025.
The imposition of President’s rule came after months of intermitten violence in the state amid ethnic tensions between the Kuki Zo and Meitei communities.
The President’s rule was extended by the Parliament in August last year for another six months. An extension was also provided by the Union Home Ministry to the three-member Commission of Inquiry which is probing the ethnic violence in Manipur, according to an earlier HT report.
The panel, which was constituted on June 4, 2023, has been granted an extension till May 20, 2026 to submit its report.