Manipur government restoration: Biren Singh, Amit Shah discuss creating a ‘conducive environment’

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi late on Friday (January 16, 2026), where the talks centred around “conducive environment” and “ironing out complexities” before the popular government could be restored in the northeastern State, sources close to the former Chief Minister said.

A government official said that the meeting was about “routine matters”, and this was the second such meeting in a month.

Mr. Singh last met the Home Minister at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Delhi when the working party president Nitin Nabin was to assume charge on December 15, the official said.

The meeting between the two started at 10 p.m. on Friday (January 16, 2026) and lasted an hour. There was no official statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding the meeting.

“Political issues pertaining to the State were discussed. While no specific timeline was given for restoration of an elected government, matters related to solving internal differences were discussed,” said the source.

The meeting assumes significance amid indications that the Union Government is inclined to the formation of a popular government in Manipur before February 13. Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, and the Assembly was placed under suspended animation following Mr. Singh’s resignation. The next elections are due in February-March 2027.

Manipur was affected by ethnic violence between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, which has so far claimed around 250 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people from their homes.

Government officials are separately holding meetings with members of Kuki-Zo community.

On January 14, A.K Mishra, Adviser, NorthEast, MHA, met the chairman of Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a conglomerate of the tribal group, seeking the latter’s cooperation in the restoration of the popular government.

KZC has demanded the extension of President’s Rule, adding that the Kuki-Zo legislators may join the government at their own risk.

On January 12, the Kuki-Zo tribal groups, including the two insurgent groups in political talks with MHA, said that they have resolved to join the popular government in Manipur, provided the Central and the State governments give a written commitment to support the negotiated political settlement for a Union Territory with legislature under the Constitution.

There are 10 Kuki-Zo members of the Legislative Assembly in Manipur, and the leaders are not in favour of excluding them from the next government formation, the official said.