New Delhi/Imphal: Former Manipur Assembly Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh is poised to become the state’s next Chief Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on Tuesday.
The BJP legislature party, after a meeting in New Delhi, confirmed that Khemchand Singh has been elected as the party’s Legislature Party Leader and will assume the role of Chief Minister in Manipur. The northeastern state has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, following the resignation of then-Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid prolonged ethnic violence.
A senior BJP leader and member of the majority Meitei community, 61-year-old Khemchand Singh previously served as Rural Development Minister. He was elected to the Manipur Assembly from the Singjamei constituency as a BJP candidate in both the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.
In a notable development since the outbreak of ethnic unrest in May 2023, Khemchand Singh visited the tribal-majority hill districts of Ukhrul and Kamjong on Monday — the first such outreach by a Meitei leader to these areas since the conflict began.
Process of Party Leadership Selection
The BJP initiated the process to elect a new Chief Minister on Monday. The party’s **Parliamentary Board appointed national General Secretary Tarun Chugh as the Central Observer for the election of the Legislature Party Leader in the state.
Following directives from the central leadership, a large number of MLAs from the BJP and its supporting parties arrived in New Delhi earlier this week to participate in consultations.
Senior leaders including Chief Minister-in-waiting Khemchand Singh, former Chief Minister Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, and State BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi accompanied the MLAs to the national capital.
Ahead of the meeting, Sharda Devi told reporters that discussions on government formation were expected.
Background: President’s Rule and Assembly Composition
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, four days after Biren Singh resigned. The measure is scheduled to lapse on February 12, 2026. During this period, the 60-member Manipur Assembly has remained under suspended animation.
In the wake of the unrest, BJP central leaders including National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh and the party’s Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra have held multiple rounds of talks with state MLAs in New Delhi and Imphal to build consensus on government formation.
The BJP holds 37 seats in the state Assembly, while its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners — the National People’s Party (NPP) and Naga People’s Front (NPF) — have six and five MLAs respectively. Additionally, three Independent MLAs are supporting the BJP-led NDA.