Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post, two years following violence broke out in the state between the Kuki and Meitei tribes. According to the media reports, N Biren Singh remains the caretaker CM till a new politician takes over as the Chief Minister. The next Manipur Chief Minister will be declared before February 12.
All MLAs of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the allies will be meeting in New Delhi, in the presence of senior BJP leadership and decide the next CM of Manipur, according to the media reports. 10 Kuki MLAs have also been summoned to Delhi by high command. Before 12, the new Manipur CM is expected to be named or else the Assembly will get dissolved as per the rule, giving way to President’s Rule in the state.
Following Singh’s resignation, the governor and his council of ministers have requested him to remain in office until alternative arrangements are made. Currently, there is no clear indication whether the BJP will appoint a new Chief Minister, though BJP leader Sambit Patra is camping in Manipur. Reports suggest the BJP is keen to avoid the President’s rule, while Governor Bhalla has instructed Singh to refrain from taking any policy decisions during his tenure as caretaker CM.
On Sunday, N Biren Singh resigned as Manipur Chief Minister after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda today in Delhi. In his resignation letter to the Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla, N Biren Singh listed five reasons for quitting the post. Biren Singh stated, “to maintain the territorial integrity of Manipur, to crack down on border infiltration, to continue the fight against drugs and narco-terrorism, to continue the stringent and fool-proof revised mechanism of Free Movement Regime and time-bound and faster border”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Manipur President A Sharda Devi backed N Biren Singh’s decision to resign as the state’s Chief Minister, saying that the decision was made welfare of the people and to maintain peace in the state. Devi said, “Our CM has tendered his resignation to the Governor. He has resigned for the people of the state. He has also requested the Central government to safeguard the integrity of the state and protect its people”. He further added, “His resignation was made with the future of the state in mind. There are no differences among the party’s MLAs. The CM wants peace in the state and has requested the Centre to provide safety to the people”.
Comments