BJP Aims to Restore Govt in Manipur as President's Rule Nears End
BJP Aims to Restore Govt in Manipur as President's Rule Nears End
With President's Rule due to expire, NDA MLAs head to Delhi under Tarun Chugh to elect the Manipur legislature's leader and form an elected government.
Manipur is poised for a major political shift as the six-month extension of President's Rule hangs over the state. BJP leaders have moved to restore an elected government, naming senior leader Tarun Chugh as a central observer to supervise the election of the legislature party leader. NDA lawmakers from Manipur have been summoned to Delhi, a signal that party leaders expect to clinch a majority and move quickly toward forming a government in the hill state.
Congress and other opposition groups have limited public visibility in this round of talks, while leaders from both Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities will participate in the deliberations in the national capital. The extension of President's Rule to February 12 keeps the assembly under direct central control while the NDA seeks to consolidate numbers and choose a chief ministerial candidate.
The moves come almost a year after Manipur was placed under President's Rule in the wake of ethnic violence that destabilized the state. If the NDA succeeds in unifying its ranks and presenting a leader acceptable to multiple communities, Manipur could see a return to elected governance soon, marking a significant shift from caretaker administration to a democratically elected government.
