Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party‘s Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the chief minister of Manipur on Wednesday. The NDA legislature party leader staked claim to form the government in the state earlier in the day. The ethnic violence-torn state was under President’s rule since February last year.Kuki BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen and Naga People’s Front MLA L Dikho was sworn in as the deputy chief ministers.The ministry of home affairs announced the revocation of President’s rule in Manipur with immediate effect.“Pleased to stake claim to form the new government before the Hon’ble Governor, Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla Ji, at Lok Bhavan today, following my arrival from New Delhi, in the august presence of BJP National General Secretary, Shri Tarun Chugh Ji, and BJP Northeast Coordinator, Shri Sambit Patra Ji,” Khemchand said in a post on X.The move followed the Manipur BJP legislature party’s decision to elect 62-year-old as its leader at a meeting held at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi. The meeting saw the participation of 35 out of the state’s 37 BJP MLAs and was attended by senior party leaders, including central observer Tarun Chugh, BJP’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and state president A Sharda Devi.Later, a separate meeting took place at the Manipur Bhavan in the national capital, bringing together MLAs of the NDA’s constituent parties in the state along with BJP legislators. Members from the National People’s Party, Naga People’s Front and Independents joined the discussions and unanimously backed Singh as the NDA legislature party leader, while Nemcha Kipgen of the Kuki community was endorsed as the deputy leader.N Biren Singh stepped down as Manipur chief minister in February 2025 following criticism over his government’s handling of the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis that erupted in May 2023, after which President’s Rule was imposed in the state.
