Manipur: 10 NDA MLAs meet governor, seek ‘popular government’ in state

A delegation of 10 Manipur MLAs, including seven from the Bharatiya Janata Party, met Governor Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday, to urge the formation of a “popular government” in the state, The Indian Express reported.

The 10 MLAs are the BJP’s Yumnam Radheshyam Singh, Thockchom Radheshyam Singh, Lourembam Rameshwar Meitei, Thangjam Arunkumar, Kh Raghumani Singh, Kongkham Robindro Singh and Paonam Brojen Singh, the National People’s Party’s Sheikh Noorul Hassan and Janghemliung Panmei and Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta.

Thockchom Radheshyam Singh has claimed that 44 MLAs support the formation of the government, The Indian Express reported. “Given the way things have gone and the pressure from the public, we expressed to the governor that it’s the right time to install a popular government,” he told the newspaper.

Manipur has been mired in ethnic conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities that broke out in May 2023. The violence has since left at least 260 dead and displaced more than 59,000. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024.

President’s Rule was imposed on February 13 after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned earlier that day. Bhalla has been administering Manipur since then.

After meeting with the governor on Wednesday, Thockchom Radheshyam Singh said that the President’s Rule was an emergency move and should be the last option. “If the new popular...

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