Yumnam Khemchand Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party took oath as Manipur’s chief minister on Wednesday, bringing President’s Rule in the northeastern state to an end.
Nemcha Kipgen from the BJP, representing the Kuki community, and Naga People’s Front legislator Losii Dikho, from the Naga community, were sworn in as deputy chief ministers. Kipgen’s appointment marks a historic milestone as she becomes the first woman to serve as deputy chief minister in Manipur.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on Wednesday declaring that President Droupadi Murmu has withdrawn President’s Rule in Manipur with immediate effect.
A proclamation in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary) stated that President Murmu revoked the previous order imposed under Article 356(2) of the Constitution. The initial proclamation was issued on February 13, 2025, and the latest notification, bearing the President’s signature on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), officially terminates President’s Rule in the state.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 356 of the Constitution, I, Droupadi Murmu, President of India, hereby revoke the Proclamation issued by me under the said article on the 13th day of February, 2025, in relation to the State of Manipur, with effect from the 4th day of February, 2026,” the proclamation read.
The withdrawal paved the way for establishing a new BJP-led government. State BJP legislators, who convened in New Delhi on Tuesday, chose Singh as their legislature party leader.
On Wednesday morning, NDA legislature party leader Y Khemchand Singh presented his claim to form the government in Manipur, according to state BJP president A Sharda Devi.
“We met the governor in the presence of our newly elected legislature party leader and BJP observer Tarun Chugh. The NDA staked a claim to form a popular government in the state,” Devi told reporters.
Two legislators from the Kuki-Zo majority districts of Churachandpur and Pherzawl were part of the delegation that met Bhalla at the governor’s residence.
This follows Tuesday’s meeting where the BJP legislature party of Manipur elected the 62-year-old Singh as its leader at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Thirty-five of the 37 BJP MLAs attended the meeting, along with central observer Tarun Chugh, northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, and state president A Sharda Devi, among others.
A subsequent meeting took place at Manipur Bhavan in the capital, attended by BJP legislators and MLAs from NDA partners in Manipur six from the National People’s Party (NPP), five from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), and three Independents.
The gathering endorsed Singh as leader and Nemcha Kipgen, who belongs to the Kuki community, as deputy leader of the NDA legislature party.
Singh expressed confidence that “with the formation of the new Council of Ministers, peace and development will serve as the guiding principles of the new government.”
The Singjamei legislator added, “The political journey towards the vision of #ViksitBharatViksit and Viksit Manipur is not without challenges, but our priorities will remain firmly aligned with achieving these ambitious goals. I extend my sincere gratitude to all for the trust, responsibility, and honour bestowed upon me.”
Manipur has been facing severe law-and-order challenges since May 3, 2023, when ethnic clashes broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities. The violence, stemming from disputes over land rights, job quotas, and economic benefits, resulted in at least 260 deaths and displaced nearly 60,000 people.
After President’s Rule was imposed, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been meeting with different sections of society to evaluate the situation and identify measures to restore peace and normalcy in the northeastern state.
(With inputs PTI)
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