President’s Rule in Manipur after Biren Singh’s exit.
Manipur’s Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, resigned on February 9, nearly 21 months after ethnic violence in the state led to the deaths of over 250 people and displaced thousands.
Four days after his resignation, President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur. A Ministry of Home Affairs notification stated that President Droupadi Murmu believes the state government can no longer function by constitutional provisions.
Invoking Article 356 of the Constitution, the President has assumed all functions of the Manipur government and the powers of the state’s governor. Additionally, the state assembly has been placed under suspended animation.
Biren Singh Resigns
On February 9, a day before the Manipur Assembly’s scheduled budget session, which was later canceled, Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Imphal.
In his resignation letter, Singh expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve Manipur and thanked the central government for its interventions, developmental initiatives, and efforts to safeguard the state’s interests.
His resignation came five days after the Supreme Court ordered a central forensics lab to examine leaked audio tapes, in which Singh is allegedly heard claiming that he instigated the ethnic violence in the state.
BJP Struggles to Find Biren Singh’s Successor
Following Biren Singh’s resignation, BJP lawmakers in Manipur have been actively searching for a new chief minister. Despite multiple meetings with the party’s northeast coordinator, Sambit Patra, no consensus has been reached.
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The ethnic violence, which initially erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities, has resulted in around 250 deaths and spread across the state—the opposition and the Kuki community blame Singh for escalating the conflict.
Opposition parties have also criticized the BJP for delaying Singh’s removal, alleging that it was a strategic move to prevent the government from collapsing and to avoid possible consequences from the Supreme Court.
