Imphal/New Delhi : Senior BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh has been elected as the leader of the Manipur BJP Legislature Party, fuelling speculation that he could be the party’s choice for chief minister once normal political processes resume in the state, sources said.

According to sources, the decision was taken at a meeting of BJP leaders held in New Delhi on Monday. The move is seen as part of the party’s efforts to consolidate leadership amid President’s Rule and ongoing political recalibration in Manipur.

A seasoned politician, Singh is a two-time MLA from the Singjamei Assembly constituency in Imphal West district, having won elections in 2017 and 2022. He has established a strong political base in the state capital region.

Singh rose to prominence in March 2017 when he was elected Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. He served a full five-year term until 2022, a period marked by political flux in the state. His tenure as Speaker was noted for adherence to legislative procedure and institutional discipline.

Following the 2022 Assembly elections, Singh was inducted into the second Biren Singh-led Council of Ministers as a Cabinet minister. He held key portfolios, including Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Education. During his stint, he was associated with urban governance initiatives, rural development programmes and administrative oversight of the education sector.

He continued as a Cabinet minister until February 2025, when President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur, bringing the elected government to a halt.

With his elevation as BJP Legislature Party leader, political circles believe Singh is a strong contender for the chief minister’s post. Sources said his administrative experience, legislative background and acceptability within the party place him among the leading candidates should the BJP move towards government formation in the state.

  Sources said senior Kuki leader and former minister Nemcha Kipgen, a woman MLA, is likely to be appointed deputy chief minister in the new dispensation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party chose the 62-year-old Singh at a meeting held at the party headquarters, which was attended by 35 of the party’s 37 MLAs. Two legislators were absent due to illness. The meeting was overseen by BJP central observer Tarun Chugh and attended by the party’s Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, state BJP president A Sharda Devi, and other senior leaders. Kipgen was also selected as deputy chief minister at the meeting.

Later, NDA legislators met at Manipur Bhavan, where BJP MLAs, along with six legislators of the National People’s Party (NPP), five of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), and three Independent MLAs, unanimously endorsed Singh as leader of the NDA legislature party and Kipgen as deputy leader.

Sources indicated that there is also a proposal to appoint a Naga MLA as an additional deputy chief minister, though no official announcement has been made so far.

The NDA is expected to stake claim to form the government by meeting the governor as early as February 4, sources said.

Independent MLA Sapam Nishikant Singh, who attended the NDA meeting, said Y Khemchand Singh was a “natural choice” as he maintains cordial relations with Manipur’s three major communities – the Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas. “There will be good days, and peace will come to Manipur,” he said.

The political developments come days ahead of the expiry of the second spell of President’s rule in the state on February 12. Former chief minister N Biren Singh and Assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh were present at both meetings.

 At present, the BJP has 37 MLAs in the Assembly. In the 2022 elections, the party had won 32 seats, while the JD(U) secured six, five of whose MLAs later defected to the BJP. The current Assembly composition also includes six NPP MLAs, five from the NPF, five Congress MLAs, two from the Kuki People’s Alliance, one JD(U) MLA, three Independents, and one vacant seat following the death of a sitting legislator.

Sources said the BJP central leadership had, over the past few months, held several rounds of consultations with Meitei and Kuki MLAs, alliance partners NPP and NPF, and Independent legislators to assess whether conditions were conducive for restoring a popular government. On December 14, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and Sambit Patra had held a joint meeting in Delhi with BJP MLAs from both the Meitei and Kuki communities.

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