President’s Rule Imposed in Manipur After Biren Singh’s Resignation
President’s rule has been imposed in Manipur, just four days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from his post. Singh stepped down on February 9, nearly 21 months after ethnic violence in the state claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification stating that President Droupadi Murmu believes the state government cannot function as per constitutional provisions. Exercising her authority under Article 356 of the Constitution, she has assumed all functions of the Manipur government and the powers of the state governor. Additionally, the state assembly has been placed under suspended animation.
Singh submitted his resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla a day before the state assembly was scheduled to convene for the budget session, which was subsequently canceled. In his resignation letter, Singh expressed gratitude to the central government for its interventions and developmental efforts in the state.
His resignation came just days after the Supreme Court ordered a forensic investigation into leaked audio tapes, allegedly featuring Singh, in which he is purportedly heard admitting to instigating the ethnic violence.
Since Singh’s exit, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has struggled to find a successor. Several BJP lawmakers held discussions with the party’s Northeast coordinator, Sambit Patra, but failed to reach a consensus on the next chief minister.
Ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which initially triggered the violence, have since engulfed the entire state. The Opposition and the Kuki community blame Singh for the escalation of tensions. Critics have also accused the BJP of acting too late in removing Singh, suggesting it was done to prevent the government from collapsing and to avoid repercussions from the Supreme Court.
