Four days after N. Biren Singh resigned as Manipur’s chief minister, political uncertainty continues to grip the state, with the ruling BJP yet to announce a successor.
Meanwhile, state Forest Minister Th. Bishwajit left for Guwahati on Wednesday evening, though no official reason has been cited for his visit to the neighbouring state.
Despite multiple rounds of discussions between the BJP’s northeast in-charge, Sambit Patra, and party legislators, the deadlock remains unresolved. Some lawmakers suggest that the final decision on Singh’s successor may rest with the central leadership.
Patra has met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla twice in the past two days. On Tuesday, he, along with state BJP president A. Sharda Devi, held discussions with Bhalla, followed by another meeting on Wednesday.
Patra has also engaged in deliberations with BJP MLAs, including Consumer Affairs Minister L. Susindro and MLA Karam Shyam, in an attempt to resolve the crisis.
Also read: Patra meets Manipur Guv Bhalla, remains tight-lipped on state crisis
Uncertainty over leadership
Speaking to reporters, Shyam asserted that there was no constitutional crisis following Singh’s resignation and that the ongoing issues would be addressed by the Centre with input from legislators.
Asked about the expiry of the six-month interval between two consecutive sessions of the state assembly, Shyam said, “Let’s see what happens.”
When questioned about a possible announcement regarding the next chief minister, Shyam laughed and declined to comment.
Opposition raises questions
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Thokchom Lokeshwar questioned the purpose of Patra’s visit to Manipur, asking whether he was genuinely attempting to resolve the leadership crisis.
The Congress legislator contended that Patra should have proactively led discussions with BJP MLAs to appoint a new chief minister.
"His visit is to ensure that there is no assembly session and the issues of the state remain sidelined. So far, he has not made any comment either," remarked Lokeshwar, a former Speaker of the assembly.
The Congress accused the BJP-led government of "deliberate contempt of the Constitution" in Manipur, alleging that Article 174, which mandates that no more than six months should lapse between two assembly sessions, has been violated.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, asserted that the constitutional breakdown in Manipur persists, with the state's people still awaiting a visit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "who goes everywhere but Manipur."
Quoting Article 174 of the Constitution on social media platform X, Ramesh stated, "The Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session."
He pointed out that the Governor of Manipur had convened an Assembly session set to begin on 10 February 2025, during which a no-confidence motion submitted by the Congress was to be taken up.
However, the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on the eve of the session led to its declaration as "null and void."
"Six months have now passed. Article 174 has clearly been violated. This is nothing but deliberate contempt of the Constitution," Ramesh remarked.
Constitutional concerns
Political experts have warned that with no claimant yet to form the government, BJP-ruled Manipur may be heading towards a constitutional crisis.
If the deadlock persists, the state could come under President’s Rule, they cautioned.
The Governor has already declared the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which was scheduled to commence on 10 February, as null and void.
The last assembly session in the conflict-ridden state concluded on 12 August 2024.
Also read: Manipur Guv order scrapping assembly session 'unconstitutional': Cong
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