Imphal: Four days after N Biren Singh resigned as Manipur’s Chief Minister, the state continues to grapple with political uncertainty as the ruling BJP remains indecisive over appointing a new leader.
Despite multiple discussions among party legislators, a clear resolution has yet to emerge, raising concerns over the governance vacuum in the conflict-hit state.
In the midst of the ongoing deadlock, State Forest Minister Th. Bishwajit left Imphal for Guwahati on Wednesday evening. While no official reason has been cited for his sudden visit, speculation is rife over whether his departure is linked to behind-the-scenes political maneuvering. His absence at a time of crisis has only added to the growing uncertainty within the party ranks.
BJP’s Northeast in-charge, Sambit Patra, has been actively engaged in discussions to break the impasse. Over the past two days, Patra has met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla twice, first on Tuesday alongside BJP state president A Sharda Devi, and again on Wednesday.
Additionally, he has held closed-door meetings with party MLAs, including Consumer Affairs Minister L Susindro and legislator Karam Shyam, but no conclusive decision has been reached on the next chief minister.
Speaking to reporters, Karam Shyam dismissed fears of a constitutional crisis, asserting that the Centre, in consultation with the BJP legislators, would find a resolution. However, when questioned about the six-month deadline between two consecutive Assembly sessions—set to expire soon—Shyam offered a vague response, saying, “Let’s see what happens.” He also remained tight-lipped on whether the name of the new Chief Minister would be announced, laughing off the inquiry.
The Opposition Congress, however, has accused the BJP leadership of deliberately stalling the process. Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar criticized Patra’s visit, questioning whether his role was to resolve the leadership crisis or ensure that no Assembly session takes place.
According to Lokeshwar, the BJP leadership should have allowed the MLAs to elect a new Chief Minister immediately after Biren Singh’s resignation, rather than leaving the state in a power vacuum.
As uncertainty lingers, experts warn that if no leader stakes claim to form the government soon, Manipur may head towards President’s Rule. The situation has been further complicated by Governor Bhalla’s decision to cancel the scheduled Assembly session, which was set to commence on February 10. With the last session having concluded on August 12, 2024, the BJP is now racing against time to resolve the crisis before the constitutional deadline lapses.
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