Biren Singh Quits As Chief Minister 2 Years After Manipur Violence Began

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned today - two years after ethnic violence broke out in the state -- to quell dissidence in the state BJP against his leadership as his government faces the possibility of a Congress no-confidence motion and floor test. The Chief Minister handed his resignation to the Governor this evening. The Congress said the "belated" resignation was a vindication of its demand.

With the resignation of the Chief Minister, the budget session of the Manipur assembly that was to begin from today, has been cancelled, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has said.

While the BJP has the numbers despite the withdrawal of support by Conrad Sangma's National Peoples' Party, there was a possibility that the MLAs who sought a change in leadership, would have disregarded a party whip in case of a floor test. 

To avert that possibility, the Chief Minister stepped down after conferring with the central leadership.

Mr Singh had gone to Delhi this morning where he met party chief JP Nadda and its chief strategist, Union Minister Amit Shah. 

Citing the ethnic violence that broke out in May 2023, around 12 MLAs have been strongly pushing for a change in leadership, and there are around six fence sitters, party sources said. The sources also added that the Speaker and the chief minister have had "differences". 

Some of the rebels have even met Amit Shah with their demands.

With the Congress threat of a no-confidence motion in the assembly session, sources said there was a possibility that they would have skipped a floor test. 

Sources also said the BJP, given its string of successes in the Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi assembly elections, did not want a crisis that could overshadow the positive political narrative.

Manipur BJP chief A Sharda Devi told reporters that the Chief Minister's decision was made to protect the integrity of the state and keeping in mind public welfare.

"Since 2017, Biren Singh has been working tirelessly for the development of Manipur. His resignation reflects his deep commitment to safeguarding the state's integrity," she said.

She also said it is not decided yet who will succeed Mr Singh.

Congress's Rahul Gandhi posted a sharp comment on X. "The resignation of CM Biren Singh shows that mounting public pressure, the SC investigation and the no-confidence motion by the Congress have forced a reckoning," the post read.

"For nearly two years, BJP's CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of India in Manipur," he said.

"The Congress was all set to move a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers in the Manipur assembly tomorrow. Sensing the climate, the Manipur CM has just resigned," read a post on X from Jairam Ramesh. "This was a demand that the Congress has been making since early May 2023, when Manipur erupted. The CM's resignation was belated. The people of Manipur now await a visit by our Frequent Flier PM who is off to France and the USA now - and who has found neither the time nor the inclination to go to Manipur these past twenty months," he added.

The clamour against Biren Singh grew after a person from the Kuki community went to the Supreme Court alleging the Chief Minister had instigated the violence in the state. His complaint was based on leaked audio tapes purportedly of the Chief Minister.

Non-profit private forensic laboratory Truth Labs confirmed that 93 per cent of the audio tapes matched Mr Singh's voice.

The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory on the leaked audio tapes.