The BJP on Monday began tapping its Manipur leaders to find a consensus successor to N. Biren Singh, who resigned as chief minister on Sunday after resisting calls for his exit for 21 months.

BJP parliamentarian and the party’s Northeast coordinator, Sambit Patra, met a host of party ministers and MLAs at an Imphal hotel through the day.

Reports suggested the BJP central leadership would meet the party MLAs from Manipur in Delhi on February 12 to pick a chief minister who is acceptable to all lobbies and fits the BJP’s political scheme.

Biren quit just hours after returning from Delhi, where he had met central party leaders, amid growing opposition to him even within the Manipur BJP over his ineffective handling of the 21-month-old ethnic strife between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zos.

Among those whom Patra met were Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, cabinet ministers Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Th. Biswajit Singh and Th. Basanta Singh, D. Gangmei (Hill Area Committee chairman), and MLA Th. Radheshyam, sources said.

While leaving the hotel after meeting Patra, Khemchand said he too was thinking about who should be the next chief minister but would accept any decision taken by the high command.

Sources said various developments had forced the BJP leadership to look for a change of chief minister.

One key reason was the Supreme Court’s glare on audiotapes that Biren’s critics suggested showed his “partisan complicity” in the unrest. Another was the brewing revolt within the state BJP.

A third factor was the Congress’s declared intention of moving a no-confidence motion against the state government during the Assembly session that was to start on Monday. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla cancelled the Assembly session shortly after Biren’s resignation.

The governor has asked Biren to continue as caretaker chief minister till a successor is appointed.

Several BJP leaders said they had heard about the purported February 12 meeting in Delhi but had not received a formal call or invitation.

Kuki-Zo MLAs

A Kuki-Zo leader said: “It’s a welcome decision to take the views of everyone on the next chief minister but it won’t be possible for those (MLAs) staying in (Kuki-Zo-dominated) Churachandpur to reach Delhi at such short notice.”

He explained: “It takes over a day to reach Aizawl (in Mizoram) from Churachandpur (before further travel from Aizawl to Delhi). It takes two-three days (in all).”

The state’s 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs – including seven from the BJP – have stayed away from Meitei-majority Imphal because of security reasons since the conflict began on May 3, 2023. Hence the need to travel via Aizawl.

All 10 had criticised Biren through the unrest and sought a separate administration for their community.

The BJP had won 32 seats in the 2022 Assembly polls in a House of 60. The five JDU legislators subsequently merged with the BJP. With support from its allies, the BJP-led government enjoys a comfortable majority.

Paolienlal Haokip, a Kuki-Zo MLA from the BJP, made it clear that the group of 10 remained firm on their demand for a separate administration.

Tagging Union home minister Amit Shah, he said in a post on X: “Kuki-Zo political aspiration remains a Union Territory with Legislature. Resignation of CM is just a precondition for talks.”

Wary wait

Sources in Imphal said the mood had been one of “caution and confusion” since Biren’s resignation.

Security had been bolstered further on Monday in and around Kangla Fort and the Raj Bhavan area, an Imphal resident said.

Imphal had seen frequent protests over one issue or the other linked to the unrest since its outbreak.

At least 260 people have died and over 60,000 been displaced in the state despite a heavy deployment of central forces.

“An uneasy calm hangs over the city. Though there was a demand for a change of guard, people are not displaying their emotions given the security situation,” a resident said.

“There’s also a sense of confusion because they don’t know who the next chief minister will be, and whether he would be able to end the unrest.”