Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from his post on Sunday, February 9, as the Opposition prepared to introduce a no-confidence motion against his government. Singh was accompanied by 14 MLAs from the BJP and NPF, along with state BJP president A. Sharda and senior BJP leader Sambit Patra. Following his meeting with the governor, he proceeded to the CM secretariat, reported the Hindustan Times.
In his resignation letter, Singh expressed gratitude to the central government for its continued support and developmental efforts in Manipur. He urged the Union government to maintain its focus on preserving the territorial integrity of the state, addressing border infiltration, deporting illegal immigrants, and combating drug-related issues and narco-terrorism. He also emphasized the importance of implementing a strict biometric-based Free Movement Regime (FMR) and ensuring the timely completion of border infrastructure projects.
Singh, who first took office as Manipur’s chief minister on March 15, 2017, led the BJP to its first electoral victory in the state and was re-elected in the 2022 Assembly elections. However, his tenure was overshadowed by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which erupted in May 2023 and posed significant challenges to his leadership.
A day before his resignation, Singh traveled to Delhi on a chartered flight, though officials did not disclose the purpose of his visit. Prior to his departure, he held a meeting with BJP-led ruling alliance MLAs at the CM Secretariat ahead of the assembly session scheduled for February 10. At least 20 MLAs attended the meeting, which followed the Congress party’s announcement of its plan to introduce a no-confidence motion against his government.
The Congress, which had been demanding Singh’s removal since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, described his resignation as long overdue. AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the party was prepared to move the no-confidence motion against his government on February 10. He also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur in the past 20 months despite his frequent international travels, adding that while Singh had finally stepped down, the people of Manipur were still awaiting the prime minister’s visit to address the ongoing crisis in the state.
