Y Khemchand Singh to be new Manipur CM, Nemcha Kipgen to take charge as his deputy

Y Khemchand Singh (left) set to become Manipur CM, Nemcha Kipgen likely deputy. Pics/ X @@KipgenNemchaYKhemchandSingh/

Y Khemchand Singh was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Manipur on Tuesday, paving the way for the formation of a popular government in the northeastern state with him as chief minister. Nemcha Kipgen, a woman Kuki leader and former minister, is likely to be the deputy chief minister in the new Manipur government when it is formed, sources said.

A meeting of the legislators of all constituents of the National Democratic Alliance will be held on Tuesday night, where Singh and Kipgen's names are expected to be endorsed. Sources said Singh, a former minister, was elected as leader of the Manipur legislature party at a meeting of BJP MLAs held at the party headquarters here.

Except for two BJP MLAs, who are unwell, all other party legislators attended the meeting. Former chief minister N Biren Singh, Assembly speaker Satyabrata Singh, BJP state president A Sharda Devi, the party's central observer Tarun Chugh and its northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, among others, were also present at the meeting. The legislature party meeting was held days ahead of the expiry of the second spell of the President's rule on February 12.

Manipur has been under President's rule since February 13, 2025. The 60-member Assembly, which has tenure till 2027, was put on suspended animation after President's rule was imposed. Currently, there are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur. Initially, 32 BJP candidates had won the 2022 assembly elections. The JD(U) had won six seats, and five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP.

Among others, six are from the National People's Party (NPP), five from the Naga People's Front (NPF), five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance, one from Janata Dal (United) and three Independents. One seat is vacant following the death of a sitting MLA. The NPF and NPP are part of the NDA in Manipur.

Over the past few months, the BJP's central leadership held several rounds of meetings with its Meitei and Kuki MLAs, allies NPF and NPP and a few Independent legislators to gauge their views on whether the political situation was conducive for the formation of a popular government, the sources said.

On December 14, the BJP's national general secretary (organisation), B L Santhosh, and Sambit Patra met BJP MLAs from the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Delhi under one roof.

President's rule was imposed in the state after the BJP-led government headed by Biren Singh resigned on February 9 last year, following months of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities. After the imposition of the President's rule, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla took a number of steps to restore peace and bring back normalcy, including asking those who looted arms from security forces to surrender them.

The violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities started in May 2023 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes status. At least 260 people lost their lives, and thousands were displaced during the violence.

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