Manipur BJP MLAs meet twice in 2 days to reaffirm unity to form government

Amid political uncertainty in Manipur, BJP legislators on Saturday reaffirmed their unity and expressed their commitment to forming a stable government that prioritises development and peace in the violence-hit state.

The meeting was held on Saturday at the BJP state headquarters in Keishampat in Imphal, a day after 23 BJP legislators met at former minister Thongam Biswajit Singh's residence in Imphal to form a consensus to prioritise unity among them and form a government.

The meeting was held by the party's state president A Sarda Devi.

"All BJP legislators are united and we discussed the formation of the government in the current conflict situation. The government should focus on development and also be able to bring peace and normalcy to the state," Sarda Devi told reporters after the meeting.

Echoing her sentiments, Manipur BJP vice-president Chidananda Singh emphasised that the formation of the government lies entirely with the party's central leadership, saying he hoped that they "act in time".

The meeting mainly focused on two agendas - accelerating the process of restoration of peace in Manipur and addressing the people's desire for a popular government.

Chidananda further clarified that internal party issues were not discussed during Saturday's meeting and declined to provide a specific timeline for the formation of the new government. However, he expressed hope that a popular government would be formed soon.

BJP MLA Kh Ibomcha also spoke about the next step to be taken in that direction. "We are preparing to form a government. A meeting with central leaders has not been decided yet, but it is likely to happen."

Meanwhile, Friday's meeting culminated in a joint resolution to set aside personal ambitions for the larger interests of the state and its people.

The BJP legislators expressed a collective commitment to unity, peace and the restoration of communal harmony in Manipur. "We resolved to put aside personal ambitions in the larger interest of the state, its people and the vision of the BJP and its alliance partners," a statement read.

During the deliberations, the leaders supported the creation of a neutral dialogue platform to facilitate constructive engagement between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

They also discussed the feasibility of formally requesting the appointment of a 'peace envoy' or a panel of eminent persons by the Governor and the Centre, to mediate impartially and bridge existing trust deficits.

Saturday's BJP huddle came just three days after party MLA Thokchom Radheshyam stated that 44 legislators had agreed to form a popular government, asserting their readiness to act in accordance with the public’s will. Notably, this figure excluded the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs and five Congress legislators.

Manipur is currently under President's Rule since February, which was imposed days after N Biren Singh resigned as Chief Minister in February, nearly two years after ethnic violence broke out in the Northeastern state.