Imphal:

On rumors about a possible leadership change in crisis-hit Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that it was not in his hands and his focus is on solving the problem in the state.

“Staying on as Chief Minister or resigning is not in my hands,” Mr Singh told NDTV amid reports that a section of MLAs from his party and its allies are pushing for his removal.

Speculations about a leadership change have been rife since the BJP lost both seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress candidates wrested the seats from the ruling BJP and its ally Naga People’s Front (NPF).

Mr Singh attributed the Lok Sabha mandate to a “rebellious situation” and acknowledged public anger over his handling of the crisis.

“BJP’s vote percentage is not low. What we expected, we got. This time we got more votes than last time but lost due to the rebelling situation,” he said.

“I know people are angry with me for our handling of the situation. We accept it. The situation is very complex. We are not fighting with an identified enemy,” the Chief Minister added.

Tensions heightened in Manipur after ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kukis erupted on May 3 last year, yet previous attempts to sway the party leadership have failed to yield results. Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester.

The Kuki groups are now demanding a separate Union Territory, a demand that Mr Singh downplayed.

“Out of 16 districts, disturbance is only 2-3 districts. The crisis is not that big. There is public unrest, but I can proudly say that schools, business and traffic are working well,” he told NDTV.

“Manipur is 2000 years old, and is now a proud state of India. Demand is a demand, but it cannot happen,” he added.

Mr Singh also said that the Manipur issue is on the priority list of the new central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition in the Parliament, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293.

Imphal:

Even as the whispers about a possible leadership change in Manipur continue to get louder, Chief Minister Biren Singh has admitted that some MLAs from his party and its allies are in Delhi, but rubbished talk of their visit having anything to do with his resignation.

Over the past few days, there have been reports that a section of MLAs from the BJP and its allies, Naga People’s Front (NPF), National People’s Party (NPP) and JDU, are pushing for the chief minister to step down. 

Sources said that efforts to convince the BJP leadership to replace Mr Singh have been mounted several times since he became the chief minister in 2017 and gathered steam after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3 last year, but yielded no results. 

What’s different this time, however, is that the BJP has had to pay an electoral cost, having lost both of Manipur’s Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in the just-concluded polls.

On Friday, the chief minister said there had been a meeting with NDA allies – who have 53 of the state’s 60 Assembly seats between them, with the BJP alone accounting for 37 – the previous night, and it was decided that a memorandum for lasting peace in Manipur would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We also discussed going to Delhi for a courtesy call with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The MLAs entrusted me with getting the appointment, but since the Parliament is on and things are so hectic, I thought why should I disturb? When the meeting happens, I will also go. But some people have gone ahead. This has nothing to do with a resignation. Around 35 MLAs were present yesterday and we signed the memorandum,” Mr Singh said.

“We are also grateful to the PM and Mr Shah that they have put Manipur on their list of priorities for the first 100 days (of the new NDA term). Mr Shah has also held meetings with various agencies and our gratitude was part of the resolution,” he added. 

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293. 

The ‘Almost’ Resignation 

Last June, when the pressure on his government was near its peak, the chief minister had almost quit. A minister had claimed he has left for the governor’s house with his resignation, but had turned back because of a human chain formed by hundreds of women in his support outside his residence in Imphal. It had also been claimed that his resignation letter was snatched from two ministers and torn up by people who wanted Mr Singh to remain the chief minister.

The opposition had dubbed the entire sequence of events a carefully orchestrated drama. 

Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester. 

Imphal:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said that no one had thought that a rally against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status would lead to violent attacks.

Mr Singh’s comment comes months after an ethnic strife broke out in the Northeastern state in May last year, which claimed more than 200 lives. Private and government properties were also destroyed.

A rally denouncing the Meitei community’s demand was organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, following which violence began.

Addressing a government programme at Lamlai in Imphal East district, he said, “When ATSUM decided to hold a rally against the demand for ST status by Meiteis, there were no reports of any ulterior design by a section of the people.” All are entitled to express their opinions through a rally, the chief minister said.

“However, nobody ever thought the rally would lead to violence,” he said.

Mr Singh said the rally began around 9.30 pm and within an hour, a forest office was torched at Churachandpur at 10.30. A driver was also assaulted followed by attacks on the homes of others, he said.

“However, no such violence was reported in Naga-inhabited areas of Tamenglong, Ukhrul and Senapati. We need to understand who wants to break Manipur,” the chief minister said.

Security personnel have been deployed at almost all vulnerable areas as the government wants to protect people, he said adding that the whole country stands by Manipur.

“All are people of the state. Entry of illegal immigrants and setting up new villages by them are all we want. We are not against the original villages and people. Poppy cultivation should also stop. We need not forget the support of the Centre,” he said.

At least 219 people have been killed in ethnic strife in the state since May last year. The violence erupted on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)