Manipur LIVE | BJP likely to decide on Biren's successor at Feb 12 meet
Biren Singh's resignation as Manipur CM came after meeting with party bosses amid threat of no-confidence motion and growing discontent among state BJP leaders
Twenty-one months after a deadly ethnic strife broke out in Manipur, N Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister of the state. Singh tendered his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday (February 9).
The BJP high command has called for a crucial meeting on February 12 to take a final call on the next Chief Minister of Manipur. All BJP MLAs of Manipur have been called to New Delhi to attend the meeting on February 12, sources said. Ten Kuki MLAs may also attend the meeting . However, there is no confirmation in this regard yet.
Biren Singh's resignation came hours after his return from Delhi. He had left for the national capital in a chartered flight to meet the top BJP leadership on Saturday evening after convening a meeting with BJP-led ruling alliance MLAs at the CM Secretariat in connection with the assembly session beginning on February 10.
Also read: SC seeks forensic report on audio tapes linking Manipur CM to violence
Singh’s persistence as the Manipur CM and Amit Shah’s inexplicable support for him had raised eyebrows for months as the Manipur crisis raged.
Follow Live updates below:
Live Updates
- 10 Feb 2025 10:57 AM GMT
Biren resignation 'too little, too late', says Opposition
Opposition leaders on Monday termed the resignation of Biren Singh as Manipur CM "too little, too late", and called it a step taken to avoid a no-confidence motion the Congress was about to bring in the state assembly.
Several opposition MPs also hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit the strife-torn state soon.
"It's too little too late… People of Manipur, his own party leaders, and the opposition have been asking for Singh's resignation for two years, yet violence continued in Manipur," Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
"Perhaps he got some wisdom after 'Ganga Snan'. But that too is not the case here… It's because they knew a no-confidence motion was coming and they feared that their own party MLAs would vote in support of it, and that is why he was asked to resign. It is sad that it took him so long (to resign)," she added.
Last Thursday, Singh took a holy dip in the Sangam at the Maha Kumbh and prayed for peace and prosperity of the nation and Manipur, which has been in turmoil for over 22 months.
Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra said it is the end of a "shameful chapter" in the history of Manipur.
- 10 Feb 2025 8:42 AM GMT
Manipur CM's resignation long overdue: Priyanka Gandhi
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said Biren Singh's resignation was "long overdue", Violence has been "carrying on" in the northeastern state for two years, she told reporters here when her reaction was sought on the matter.
"It was long overdue...(For) two years, this has been carrying on in Manipur," the leader said.
Priyanka Gandhi, A Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, attended various programmes in the high-range constituency in the last two days. She would visit the houses of persons who had lost lives in wild animal attacks in the constituency on Monday before leaving for New Delhi.
- 10 Feb 2025 2:01 AM GMT
Governor asks Biren to continue till new arrangements
The Manipur Governor accepted Biren Singh’s resignation, along with that of his council of ministers, on Sunday and requested that he continue in office until alternative arrangements are made.
It was not immediately clear whether the BJP will appoint a new CM. Top BJP leader Sambit Patra is camping in Manipur.
BJP sources on the other side expressed hope that his resignation will help boost the efforts being helmed by the Centre to broker peace between the two main ethnic communities in the state.
Noting that former home secretary Ajay Bhalla was appointed the state’s governor in December last with an apparent aim to accelerate peace and security measures, they said Singh's resignation will help the process and convey the Centre's sincerity in bridging the ethnic divide.
- 10 Feb 2025 1:58 AM GMT
Governor orders upcoming Manipur Assembly session ‘null and void’
The 7th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, set to commence from February 10, has been declared “null and void” with immediate effect, according to a notice issued by Assembly secretary K Meghajit Singh on Sunday.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, I, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Governor of Manipur, hereby order that the previous directive to summon the 7th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which has yet to commence, is hereby declared null and void with immediate effect,” the notice added.
