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New Manipur chief minister, 2 deputies reflect bid for unity
Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as Manipur's chief minister after President's rule was revoked
IMPHAL: Yumnam Khemchand Singh, 62, took oath as the Manipur chief minister on Wednesday hours after the Centre revoked President’s rule in the northeastern state where at least 260 people have died and more than 60,000 were rendered homeless in ethnic clashes between Meitis and Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023.
The Centre imposed President’s rule on February 13, 2025 in the state after then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9.
On Tuesday, Khemchand was elected the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party, paving the way for his elevation to the top post.
Khemchand won his first assembly election in 2017 and served as the Speaker of the Manipur assembly and was a cabinet minister in the Biren Singh government holding portfolio of municipal administration, housing development (MAHUD) department, and the education department.
Khemchand was administered the oath of office and secrecy at a function organised at the Manipur Lok Bhawan by state governor Ajay Bhalla. Apart from him, two deputy chief ministers — Naga legislator Losii Dikho, 58 and Kuki legislator Nemcha Kipgen, 50.
He was recently awarded 5th Dan in traditional taekwondo style by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF).
Khemchand and his wife, Joybala Yumnam have two children, a son and a daughter. Joybala is a house wife. He completed his high school leaving certificate in 1978 conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Manipur from Ram Lal Paul High School.
Addressing the party leaders after the oath ceremony, Khemchand said, “For a land to develop and prosper, there has to be peace. The state is inhabited and defended by 36 communities. If the communities forget this, Manipur cannot develop.”
While Losii Dikho was administered the oath at the Lok Bhawan, Nemcha Kipgen took the oath virtually from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi.
Dikho of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) is a legislator from Mao assembly constituency since 2012. An Arts graduate from the Dimapur Arts Colleg, Dikho has held Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) portfolio as a cabinet minister in the first BJP-led Biren government during 2017-2022.
The second deputy chief minister, Nemcha Kipgen is a Kuki legislator. She is the niece of four times legislator Thangminlen Kipgen and wife of ST Thangboi Kipgen, chairman of Kuki National Front (KNF), a Kuki militant outfit.
She won her first election from Kangpokpi constituency in 2012 on the ticket of Manipur State Congress party (MSCP). Later, she resigned from the party and retained her seat as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate since 2017. She has been a cabinet minister in both the Biren Singh administrations.
