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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to decide on who will head the party’s next government in Manipur, four days after it secured a majority to retain power in the north-eastern state for a second consecutive term.
On Monday, caretaker chief minister N Biren Singh, who headed the saffron party’s first government in Manipur five years ago, took oath along with 58 other newly elected MLAs as members of the 60-member assembly.
BJP’s Sorokhaibam Rajen Singh, who was sworn in as pro-tem speaker of the 12th Manipur legislative assembly on Sunday, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected and re-elected members including 18 first timers.
But, there was no indication on whether BJP, which retained power in the state by winning 32 of the 60 seats, will opt for Biren Singh to continue as CM or the party will name a new face for the post.
When asked about formation of the government after the day’s oath taking ceremony of the MLAs, Singh said that it will happen at the party’s legislature committee meet.
“New government needs to follow the formalities. Observers from the party should come and the leader of the legislature party will be elected. So it will take some time,” he said.
There’s no confirmation yet on when the BJP high command would send observers or the date on which the first meeting of the party’s newly elected MLAs will take place to elect its new leader. Earlier Singh had indicated that the process would get over before March 19.
Sharing a similar sentiment, BJP’s Manipur unit vice president Ch Chidananda said, “We are waiting for the arrival of the party’s central observers.”
On Sunday, senior minister and BJP Manipur’s key functionary Th Biswajit Singh who was re-elected from Thongju seat had dismissed reports of differences within the party on government formation. He said, “All members will adhere to the decision taken by the party’s parliamentary board.”
Meanwhile backroom parleys are on within BJP on who should get the CM’s chair. Party leaders said it was taking the opinion of all its MLAs before taking a final call.
Biren’s first term in office was beset with complaints both by coalition allies and senior cabinet colleagues about his autocratic style of functioning and not taking everyone along as a team.
“Though Biren is likely to get a second term, it is not confirmed yet. There are other contenders like Th. Biswajit Singh and Govindas Konthoujam, a former Congress president who joined BJP ahead of polls,” said a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Samiti (RSS) functionary involved with developments in Manipur on condition of anonymity.
In the recently concluded Manipur polls, the National People’s Party (NPP), a coalition partner of the BJP in the previous government, became the second largest party with seven seats while Congress and Naga People’s Front (NPF) secured five seats each.
The Janata Dal (U) secured six, newly floated Kuki People’s Alliance two seats while Independents candidates won three seats.
In the 2017 Manipur elections, the Congress had emerged as the single-largest party after winning 28 of 60 seats. But the BJP was able to form a government with NPP, NPF & others.
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