Manipur situation improved with President’s Rule: Former CM

Imphal, Oct 14 Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday said that the law and order situation has improved in Manipur after the President's Rule was imposed in the state on February 13. Singh, returning from New Delhi, said in Imphal that the formation of a new government will be taken by the Central leaders of the BJP in due course of time.

Singh, who quit the Chief Ministerial post on February 9, four days before the President’s Rule was imposed in the state due to prolonged ethnic violence, along with 25 BJP MLAs, went to Delhi and held a series of meetings with the party’s central leaders.

Before visiting Delhi, the former Chief Minister had said he was going there to apprise the Central leaders of the party about various issues concerning the state, besides the formation of a popular government.

"The BJP is a national party and not a regional party, and any decision to form a new government cannot be taken in Imphal, and the decision about the formation of the government will be taken at a national level," Singh told the media.

Slamming the Congress, he said, "One party earlier constantly said that the government must be ousted. Now they are demanding the dissolution of the assembly. We are not going to follow what the other party thinks. We will go as per the will of the people.”

The MLAs who went to Delhi last week include former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Manipur Assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh, former ministers Thongam Biswajit Singh, Sapam Ranjan Singh, Heikham Dingo, Yumkham Khemchand, Konthoujam Govindas, MLA Karam Shyam.

The MLAs in Delhi held meetings with BJP North-East in-charge and Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra and party’s National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh.

MLA Karam Shyam earlier said that both Patra and Santhosh had assured them of positive intent towards restoring an elected government. He said that the latest discussions reflected a “visible concern and commitment” from the party’s central leadership.

“Earlier, the talks rarely mentioned reinstating a popular government. But this time, Sambit Patra and B.L. Santhosh expressed clear interest in the matter. We are hopeful that a government will be formed soon,” Karam Shyam had said.

Former Minister Sapam Ranjan Singh had said that the delegation’s key objective was to brief central leaders on Manipur’s political and security situation and press for the early restoration of an elected government.

“We highlighted the importance of installing a popular government to ensure stability and public trust. The discussions were positive, and we expect a favourable outcome soon,” he said.

While they did not specify a timeline for the formation of the new government, the legislators. The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which, after the promulgation of President’s Rule, has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027.

--IANS

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