Imphal, October 30: Former Manipur Chief Minister and BJP leader N Biren Singh has accused a section of the party’s state leadership of conspiring with the Congress to remove him from office. He has also questioned why violence continues in Manipur despite his resignation in February 2025.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Singh said the BJP government must urgently work to regain public confidence and trust ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.
Singh alleged that he had not been treated well by some state-level party leaders since 2017. He claimed that certain MLAs could not accept his elevation as Chief Minister twice after he switched from the Congress to the BJP.
He further alleged that some leaders considered the BJP their personal property and had planned to force him out of the Chief Minister’s post. Singh clarified that his allegations were directed at sections of the state leadership and not the central BJP leadership.
Questioning the argument that his removal would help restore peace in Manipur, Singh asked why violence had continued even after he stepped down. Referring to ongoing clashes involving Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities, he questioned the continued deterioration of the situation.
Singh also expressed concern over the functioning of the present government led by Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh. He said the BJP needed to take urgent steps to rebuild public confidence.
He specifically called for the continuation of the anti-drug campaign, action against poppy cultivation and biometric identification of suspected illegal immigrants.
Singh said the government should continue the initiatives started during his tenure. Even if suspected illegal immigrants could not be deported immediately, they should at least be identified and kept in camps, he suggested.
The former Chief Minister also expressed hope that the BJP’s central leadership would intervene to resolve the situation in the state. Claiming that there was strong public demand for his return as Chief Minister, Singh said such a decision would ultimately depend on the BJP securing a majority in the Assembly elections.
N Biren Singh resigned as Manipur Chief Minister on February 9, 2025, amid prolonged ethnic violence and growing dissent within the BJP. The state is currently governed by a BJP government led by Y Khemchand Singh.
