Manipur: What lies ahead of Biren Singh who lived on the razor’s edge?

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who had been surviving on a razor’s edge ever since an unprecedented ethnic violence broke out in May 2023, finally ran out of time.

A rebellion within the ruling BJP forced him to tender resignation on Sunday (February 9) evening as even Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah failed to persuade the dissidents to bury the hatchet with the 64-year-old Biren.

Due to the dissension, the Biren government was on the verge of being ousted through a no-confidence motion the Congress had announced to move in the assembly session that was to be held from Monday.

Damage control

Biren rushed to New Delhi earlier on Sunday to brainstorm about the future of his government with Shah.

There it was decided, sources said, that he should resign to prevent a vertical split in the BJP and save the BJP-led government from the embarrassment of being defeated in a no-trust vote moved by the Congress.

Biren went to Raj Bhavan accompanied by the BJP’s North-East coordinator Sambit Patra and a few ministers immediately after returning to Imphal to tender his and his Cabinet colleagues’ resignation.

House in a limbo

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla accepting the resignation, asked Biren to “continue in office till alternative arrangements are made.”

The House is neither dissolved, nor is there any official word on placing it under suspended animation.

The governor in a late-night order only nullified his earlier order dated January 24 to summon the 7th session of the 12th Manipur legislative assembly. The session was to commence from Monday (February 10).

Also read: SC seeks forensic report on audio tapes linking Manipur CM to violence

A last-ditch attempt

The governor’s decision to let Biren continue as caretaker CM instead of imposing a President’s Rule raised some eyebrows.

It is being seen as a last-ditch attempt by the BJP’s central leadership, particularly Shah, to ensure that Biren continues to wield enough influence in the selection of a new leader.

“This arrangement essentially means Biren is down but not completely out yet. He will continue to be in the influential position as caretaker chief minister. This will give him leverage in the selection of his successor. Besides, this will give him some manoeuvring time,” said Kavi Maram, a political observer from Manipur.

Some elbow room to Biren

Even the Manipur Congress sees in the move an attempt to give some elbow room to Biren.

“It might give him some leeway. But we are determined to thwart any attempt to prevent his exit,” said Kh Devabrata, working president of Manipur Congress.

The BJP dissident group reportedly went into a huddle after Biren’s resignation to chart their future course of action.

The party MLAs and leaders are expected to meet Patra on Monday to take a call on leadership change.

BJP state president A Sharda Devi, assembly speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, and Y Khemchand Singh are as of now the frontrunners in the leadership race, sources said.

Also read: Biren Singh blames 'past sins' of Congress for turmoil in Manipur; attacks former PMs

A knack for surviving the odds

A BSF footballer-cum-journalist-turned-politician, Biren withstood several political storms over his leadership ever since he became the chief minister of the state in 2017.

He was prevented by thousands of his supporters, mostly women, from going to Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation in 2023. His supporters tore up the resignation letter in what was termed as “drama” by his detractors.

Biren has an uncanny knack for surviving the odds.

He successfully defended at least two attempts to dislodge his government in the previous term, which was also marred by serious controversies.

Drug baron case

The biggest challenge to his leadership came when he was accused of “shielding” a drug baron.

Then Assistant Superintendent of Police (Narcotics and Affairs of Border Bureau) Brinda Thounaojam in 2020 alleged that the chief minister put pressure to drop a case against a key accused in a 2018 drug-seizure case, Lhukhosei Zou.

A controversial Australian national, Reza Borhani, had a meeting with Biren in his chief ministerial office just a few months before the former was arrested by the Mumbai Police with Rs 1.8 crore worth of psychedelic drugs in 2019.

Also read: Manipur: Govt at risk, rift in party, but Shah’s ‘soft spot’ for Biren continues

Biren’s rise

Known for being authoritarian, his first term also saw serious curtailment of freedom of speech. At least three journalists were arrested on various charges, including sedition, during that period.

Incidentally, Biren himself was arrested for sedition in 2000, when he was a journalist. The arrest shot him to fame. Soon, he plunged into politics joining the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party (DRPP). In 2002, he was elected to the Manipur assembly for the first time from Heingang assembly constituency.

Within a year, he jumped ship to join the ruling Congress and became a minister in the Okram Ibobi Singh government. There was no looking back since then.

Adversity into opportunity

His skill of turning adversity into opportunity was first evident when he was sidelined in the party by his political guru Ibobi Singh. Biren promptly quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2016. A year later, he became the first BJP chief minister of the state.

Biren’s second term, beginning March 22, 2022 has been marked by the worst ethnic killings the state ever witnessed. Over 250 people have been killed so far in the violence.

Kuki-Zomi groups and even BJP MLAs and ministers from the community had been accusing Biren of instigating the violence against the community. They even alleged him of unleashing a militia group called Arambai Tenggol.

Also read: 'I am sorry': After 19 months of bloodshed, Manipur CM Biren Singh apologises

Audio recordings

The case revolves around audio recordings allegedly made by a whistleblower during a closed-door meeting with the Manipur CM. The petitioner claims that these tapes substantiate allegations of deliberate instigation of ethnic violence in the state.

Amid these allegations, an audio tape surfaced last year in which a voice resembling Biren’s was purportedly heard describing how he had instigated the violence.

The Chief Minister’s Office, however, said the tape was “doctored”.

Supreme Court hearing

The issue got a new twist earlier this month when the Supreme Court sought a report from the Central Forensic Laboratory on the audiotape. The matter will come up for hearing on March 24.

Prashant Bhushan, who is the advocate for the petitioner Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust, said Biren could be heard saying in the audio that he had allowed Meitei groups to loot arms from the state armoury.

Despite the controversies, Biren enjoyed the backing of the BJP central leadership. But this time, the rebellion was much more intense. The dissidents remain steadfast in their demand for a leadership change.