On May 28, 2025, ten legislators from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Manipur, including eight from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one from the National People’s Party (NPP), and one Independent MLA, met with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan in Imphal. They submitted a memorandum claiming the support of 44 MLAs to stake a claim for forming a new popular government in the state.
This political development comes in the aftermath of President’s Rule being imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025. That decision followed the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who stepped down amid persistent ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The delegation emphasized the urgent need for reinstating a democratically elected government to help restore normalcy and rebuild public trust.
Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, a BJP legislator and part of the group that met the Governor, said the support includes all MLAs except the 10 from the Kuki-Zo community and five from the Congress party, in a 60-member assembly. He stated that there is broad public pressure demanding the return of an elected administration, and expressed optimism that the state would soon have a functioning government.
This latest appeal to the Governor follows an earlier memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 29, 2025, where 21 NDA MLAs urged the central government to facilitate the formation of a popular government. They argued that a democratically elected government was essential for bringing peace to the conflict-affected state.
Protests in Imphal have intensified, with women’s groups calling on MLAs to either form a government or resign. Public frustration has been mounting due to the perceived lack of progress under President’s Rule. Meanwhile, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has also ramped up its agitation, demanding a public apology from the Governor over a recent incident involving the alleged mistreatment of journalists by security forces.
As of now, the Governor has not officially responded to the claim, but the support of 44 MLAs marks a significant step towards the potential reinstallation of a popularly elected government in Manipur.
