Imphal, 13 February 2025 – President’s rule has been imposed in Manipur, four days after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from his post. A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday stated that President Droupadi Murmu has assumed control of the state’s administration, citing constitutional provisions.
“The President is of the opinion that a situation has arisen in which the government of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution,” the notification read.
Exercising powers under Article 356, the President has taken over all functions of the state government, while the assembly has been placed under suspended animation.
Biren Singh submitted his resignation to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Imphal on February 9, a day before the now-canceled budget session of the state assembly was set to begin.
In his resignation letter, Singh expressed gratitude to the central government, stating, “It has been an honor to serve the people of Manipur thus far. I am extremely grateful to the central government for timely actions, interventions, developmental work, and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interests of every single Manipuri.”
His resignation came five days after the Supreme Court ordered a central forensics lab to submit a report on leaked audio tapes allegedly featuring Singh. In the recordings, he is purportedly heard saying the ethnic violence in Manipur was instigated at his insistence.
The ethnic conflict, which began 21 months ago between the Meitei and Kuki communities, has resulted in over 250 deaths and the displacement of thousands. While the BJP government has attributed the violence to long-standing ethnic tensions, opposition leaders and Kuki groups hold Singh responsible for the escalation.
They also accused the BJP of delaying his removal to prevent the government’s collapse and to avoid potential repercussions from the Supreme Court.
Since Singh’s exit, BJP lawmakers in Manipur have been struggling to reach a consensus on his replacement. Multiple meetings have been held this week with the party’s northeast coordinator, Sambit Patra, but no clear successor has emerged.
With the state now under President’s rule and no immediate resolution within the BJP, Manipur remains in political uncertainty as efforts continue to restore stability.
