By After nearly a year under President’s Rule and prolonged political uncertainty, the Bharatiya Janata Party has moved to restore an elected government in Manipur by naming senior leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh as its choice for Chief Minister. The decision marks a crucial turning point for a state struggling to emerge from months of ethnic unrest, administrative paralysis, and leadership drift.
The announcement, made after a closed-door BJP legislature party meeting in New Delhi, comes just days before President’s Rule is scheduled to expire. For Manipur, the choice of Khemchand Singh is being seen not merely as a routine political appointment, but as a calculated attempt to stabilise governance and signal a reset after one of the most turbulent periods in the state’s recent history.
A Long Gap After Biren Singh’s Exit
The Chief Minister’s post fell vacant on February 9, 2025, when N Biren Singh stepped down amid escalating ethnic violence that had paralysed normal life across several districts. With political consensus elusive and security concerns mounting, the Centre imposed President’s Rule shortly thereafter, effectively suspending the elected government.
Since then, Manipur has been governed directly by the Union administration, a situation that opposition parties and civil society groups repeatedly criticised as unsustainable. The BJP’s move to appoint a new leader ahead of the deadline suggests that New Delhi is keen to return the state to an elected dispensation rather than extend central rule further.
Coalition Endorsement Still Pending
Khemchand Singh was elected leader of the BJP legislature party, a critical first step. However, formal appointment will require endorsement from legislators of other parties in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). A separate meeting of NDA MLAs is expected shortly to complete this process.
Numerically, the BJP remains comfortably placed. In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the party currently enjoys the support of 37 MLAs. Although the BJP had originally won 32 seats in the 2022 elections, five MLAs from the Janata Dal (United) later crossed over to the saffron party. One seat remains vacant following the death of a sitting legislator, further strengthening BJP’s relative majority.
Why Khemchand Singh?
A two-time MLA from Singjamei, Yumnam Khemchand Singh belongs to the Meitei community, which holds significant political influence in the Imphal valley. Party insiders say his selection balances experience, administrative familiarity, and acceptability across party factions at a time when consensus is crucial.
Khemchand Singh first rose to prominence in 2017, when he was elected Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. He served a full five-year term in that role, earning a reputation as a procedural disciplinarian with a low-profile political style.
Following the 2022 elections, he joined the second Biren Singh cabinet and handled multiple key portfolios, including rural development, panchayati raj, municipal administration, housing development, and education. His tenure as minister lasted until the imposition of President’s Rule.
Challenges Await the New CM
If sworn in, Khemchand Singh will inherit a deeply fractured political and social landscape. Ethnic tensions between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities remain unresolved, thousands are still displaced, and trust in state institutions has been severely eroded.
Beyond restoring law and order, the incoming government will be expected to restart stalled development projects, rehabilitate affected families, and re-establish dialogue with civil society groups that felt sidelined during the period of central rule.
Equally important will be rebuilding confidence within the bureaucracy and ensuring coordination with central security agencies, which have played an expanded role during the last year.
Political Signal Ahead of 2027
The timing of the appointment also carries national political significance. With Assembly elections still over a year away, the BJP appears intent on consolidating its position early and countering criticism that it failed to manage Manipur’s crisis effectively.
By choosing a leader with legislative experience rather than a disruptive face, the party seems to be betting on continuity and calm rather than dramatic political reinvention.
Whether Yumnam Khemchand Singh can convert that cautious strategy into lasting stability will determine not just his tenure, but the BJP’s political future in one of the Northeast’s most sensitive states.
