Manipur NDA MLAs in Delhi; political parleys on cards ahead of expiry of Prez rule

The NDA MLAs from Manipur have arrived in the national capital after being summoned by the BJP central leadership, ostensibly to discuss the formation of a popular government in the Northeastern state where the current spell of the Presidents rule will expire next week.

The NDA MLAs from Manipur have arrived in the national capital after being summoned by the BJP central leadership, ostensibly to discuss the formation of a popular government in the Northeastern state where the current spell of the President's rule will expire next week. The legislators are expected to attend a meeting with senior BJP leaders on Monday evening during which the prevailing political situation in Manipur will be discussed, sources said. While nearly 20 MLAs arrived on Sunday night, others reached here on Monday on the direction of the BJP leadership, which is expected to take a call on whether to form a party-led government or not in the next few days. The meeting comes days ahead of the expiry of the second spell of the President's rule, which was first imposed on February 13, 2025, for six months following months of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities. The central rule was extended for another six months in August 2025. Those who have arrived in the national capital include former chief minister N Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh and former minister Y Khemchand Singh. BJP state president A Sharda Devi is also in Delhi. The President's rule was imposed in Manipur after the BJP-led government headed by Biren Singh resigned on February 9. The 60-member state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, was put under suspended animation. The BJP central leadership had held several rounds of separate meetings with its Meitei and Kuki MLAs, allies NPF and NPP and a few Independent legislators over the last few months to gauge their views on whether the political situation was conducive for the formation of a popular government, the sources said. On December 14, 2025, BJP's national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and the party's Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra met BJP MLAs from both warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Delhi under one roof. However, sources said, the key hurdle in the progress of talks was the reported inability of the BJP's Kuki MLAs to give a commitment on participating in any future government, apparently due to community pressure. The sources said the Kukis have been seeking a firm commitment from the central leadership on their demand for a Union Territory with a legislature. Currently, there are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur. Originally, a total of 32 BJP MLAs won the 2022 assembly elections. The JD(U) had won six seats, and five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP, taking the strength of the saffron party to 37. Among the other MLAs, six are from the National People's Party (NPP), five from the Naga People's Front, five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) , one from Janata Dal (United) and three Independents. There is one vacant seat following the death of a sitting MLA. The sources said if a new government does not assume charge in the coming weeks, a statutory resolution will have to be adopted in both Houses of Parliament in the first part of the ongoing Budget Session for the extension of the President's rule. After the imposition of the President's rule, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had taken a number of steps to restore peace and bring back normalcy, including asking those who looted arms from security forces to surrender them. The ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities started after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. At least 260 people lost their lives during the violence, which first started in May 2023.

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