The Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentary board on Monday appointed Tarun Chugh as the central observer for election of legislative party leader, a day before the central leadership is set to meet the party’s lawmakers in New Delhi.
The party election process indicates movement towards government formation in the strife-torn state that has been under President’s Rule for almost a year now. The BJP has 37 lawmakers in the 60-member assembly -- and has the requisite strength to form the government on its own.
“On Sunday, all legislators were asked to come to Delhi for a meeting on Monday. All 37 MLAs are in Delhi for the meeting. The meeting was supposed to be held Monday evening but after the latest announcement about the central observer, we all received information saying that the meeting has been postponed to 3 pm tomorrow,” one state BJP leader said. Another legislator aware of the matter said among the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators most of them have also reached for the meeting.
Among the front runners to become the legislative party chief are The chief minister probables are CM Biren Singh, T Satyabrata Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Govindas Konthoujam, Basanta K Singh, K Ibomcha Singh and Dipu Gangemei.
Chugh, the national general secretary of the party, was appointed ahead on February 13, which marks a year of President’s Rule in the state. Over the last year, the government extended the President’s Rule twice, each time for a duration of six months by bringing a legislation in Parliament. President’s rule can be extended up to three years. “BJP parliamentary board has appointed Shri Tarun Chugh, national general secretary as central observer for the election of the legislative party ;eader in Manipur,” said a statement released by Arun Singh, national general secretary and headquarter incharge of the BJP.
At least 260 people have died and over 50,000 were rendered homeless in the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis-Zo in Manipur which started on May 3, 2023. The two communities are still divided on ethnic grounds and live in separate districts.
A second party functionary said dynamics in Manipur are fluid. ”There is no clarity yet. If the central leadership chooses a Meitei leader in the interest of Manipur, everyone will have to fall in line and support each other. Even if Kuki-Zo MLAs don’t support then the party has the required numbers. Second is Kuki-Zo MLAs being given more ministerial posts in this cabinet. This too be in the interest of the state and the peace process. And the third is having a neutral person (non Meitei-non Kuki-Zo) as the CM, who may not be a mass leader but could be accepted by everyone under the current circumstances,” the functionary said, requesting anonymity.
Over the last one year, at least 5-6 state BJP legislators expressed their wish to become the chief minister and claimed to have the numbers. Along with 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs who publicly announced they will not support former CM Biren Singh after the start of the ethnic clashes, some senior Meitei MLAs have also refused to support Singh and reached out to central leaders multiple times.
Central leaders have visited Manipur and held meetings in New Delhi to speak to the different legislators and reach a consensus. The party’s national general secretary(organisation), BL Santhosh, met at least six chief ministers probables on October 10.
On December 14, Santhosh also held a joint meeting including Meitei and Kuki-Zo MLAs in the same room(a first since ethnic violence broke out on May 3,2023) and said that the centre would choose the CM face for Manipur.
The Manipur assembly is currently in suspended animation.
In another development, the MHA has called a meeting with representatives of insurgent groups under Suspension of Operations pact on Tuesday afternoon. The SoO meeting is at 4 pm, an hour after the BJP legislators are set to meet in another meeting for the formation of a state.
A person aware of the proposed SoO meeting, said,” there are three issues to be discussed. First is the directions issued by SoO groups asking their Kuki-Zo MLAs to support the government only if there is a written commitment by the new government to push for a UT for hill districts, second is the payment of wages to to SoO cadres and third is relocation of camps.”
