BJP Triggers Manipur Power Play as President’s Rule Nears End
Tarun Chugh named central observer; NDA MLAs camp in Delhi amid buzz over government formation
- BJP appoints Tarun Chugh as central observer for Manipur
- NDA legislators summoned to Delhi for high-level talks
- President’s Rule set to expire within days
- Decision on BJP-led government expected shortly
GG News Bureau
Imphal, 2nd Feb: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Parliamentary Board has set the political stage in Manipur by appointing party general secretary Tarun Chugh as central observer to oversee the election of the BJP legislature party leader, signalling a possible return of a popular government in the northeastern state.
The move comes at a crucial moment, with the current term of President’s Rule in Manipur nearing its legal end next week. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislators from the state have reached New Delhi following a summons from the BJP’s central leadership to deliberate on the formation of a government.
Confirming the decision, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said the Parliamentary Board had authorised Tarun Chugh as central observer for the legislature party leader’s election in Manipur.
President’s Rule was first imposed on February 13, 2025, after months of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, and later extended in August 2025. The imposition followed the resignation of the BJP-led government headed by former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9 last year.
Sources said BJP MLAs are expected to hold a meeting with senior party leaders on Monday evening to review the ground situation. Around 20 legislators arrived in Delhi on Sunday night, while others followed on Monday as directed by the party leadership.
Leaders present in the capital include former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, suspended Assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh, former minister Y. Khemchand Singh, and Manipur BJP president A. Sharda Devi.
According to sources, the BJP’s central leadership has held multiple rounds of consultations over recent months with Meitei and Kuki MLAs, NDA allies such as the Naga People’s Front and the National People’s Party, as well as Independent legislators, to assess whether conditions are favourable for forming a popular government.
On December 14, 2025, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santhosh and the party’s Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra met BJP MLAs from both Meitei and Kuki communities in Delhi to explore a consensus path.
The 60-member Manipur Assembly currently has 37 BJP MLAs. The party had won 32 seats in the 2022 elections and later absorbed five of the six Janata Dal (United) MLAs, strengthening its numbers. The House also includes MLAs from the Indian National Congress, the Kuki People’s Alliance, and several allies and Independents.
If a new government is not formed in the coming weeks, constitutional provisions will require Parliament to approve an extension of President’s Rule during the ongoing Budget Session, adding urgency to the BJP’s high-stakes political manoeuvre in Manipur.
