Senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has been selected as the new Chief Minister of Manipur, which has been under President's Rule for nearly a year following prolonged ethnic violence.

The announcement came Tuesday after Singh was elected as the BJP legislature party leader at a meeting held in New Delhi, just 10 days before the scheduled expiry of presidential rule.

NDA Endorsement Pending

Singh's name now requires endorsement from legislators of other National Democratic Alliance parties to be elected as the coalition's legislature party leader in the Manipur Assembly. A separate meeting is scheduled for this purpose.

The BJP currently holds 37 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Originally, 32 BJP candidates won in the 2022 elections, with the JD(U) securing six seats. Five JD(U) MLAs later defected to BJP, while one seat fell vacant following an MLA's death.

Background to Leadership Vacuum

The Chief Minister's post has remained vacant since N. Biren Singh resigned on February 9, 2025, amid sustained ethnic conflict in the northeastern state. Presidential rule was imposed days after his resignation as the violence showed no signs of abating.

Who is Yumnam Khemchand Singh?

The Meitei community leader is a two-time MLA, winning the Singjamei Assembly seat in both 2017 and 2022.

Political Career Highlights:

As minister in the Biren Singh cabinet, he held portfolios including Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Municipal Administration, Housing Development, and Education until President's Rule was imposed.