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Manipur BJP leader says 44 MLAs ready to form next government
Manipur has been under president's rule since the resignation of BJP leader N Biren Singh as chief minister.
BJP MLA Thokchom Radheshyam Singh has stated that 44 MLAs are ready to stake their claim and form the next government in Manipur. This remark comes after a meeting was held with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The stake to form a new government in Manipur also comes weeks after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned and the state was placed under the president's rule.
As per a report by PTI, the BJP legislator was accompanied by nine other MLAs for the meeting with the governor at Raj Bhavan. Of these, 8 MLAs were from the BJP, one from NPP and one independent candidate.
"We informed the governor that 44 MLAs are ready. We also discussed possible solutions to the ongoing issues in the state," said Singh.
"Letting the governor know that we’re ready is akin to staking a claim. The central BJP leadership will take the final call. Speaker Th Satyabrata has met all 44 MLAs individually and collectively. There is no opposition to forming a new government," he added.
"People are facing too much hardship. In the previous term, two years were lost due to COVID, and in this term, another two years have been lost due to the conflict," Singh added further.
In the 60-seat Manipur assembly, the BJP-led coalition includes 32 Meitei MLAs, three Manipuri Muslim MLAs, and nine Naga legislators, and the Congress holds five Meitei seats. The remaining 10 seats are with Kuki-Zo legislators.
Manipur under the president's rule
Since N Biren Singh's resignation, Manipur has been under the president's rule. The BJP leader submitted his resignation amid criticism over his handling of the ethnic conflict in the state.
The conflict in Manipur, which broke out in May 2023 between the Kuki-Xo and Meitei communities, continues to rage on and has led to the displacement of thousands and the death of over 250 people.
(With inputs from PTI)
