Who is Yumnam Khemchand Singh? Meet Manipur's New Chief Minister Amidst Ongoing Challenges

Yumnam Khemchand Singh Takes the Helm in Manipur

New Delhi/Imphal: The former Speaker of the Manipur Assembly, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of the state, as announced on Tuesday.

Following a meeting in New Delhi, the BJP legislature party confirmed that Khemchand Singh has been chosen as the leader of the party's legislative group and will assume the role of Chief Minister. This decision comes after President’s Rule was imposed on February 13 last year, following the resignation of N. Biren Singh amid ongoing ethnic unrest.

Singh, who represents the majority Meitei community, previously served as the Rural Development Minister and has been elected to the Manipur Assembly from the Singjamei constituency as a BJP candidate in both the 2017 and 2022 elections.

In a notable move since the ethnic violence erupted in May 2023, the 61-year-old BJP leader visited the tribal-majority hill districts of Ukhrul and Kamjong on Monday, marking the first outreach by a Meitei leader to these regions since the conflict began.

After extensive discussions, the BJP initiated the process to select a new Chief Minister on Monday, appointing national General Secretary Tarun Chugh as the Central Observer for the election of the Legislative Party Leader in Manipur.

Under the guidance of the central BJP leadership, numerous MLAs from the BJP and its allied parties traveled to New Delhi earlier this week.

Accompanying the party MLAs in the national capital were Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Khemchand Singh, and state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi.

Sharda Devi expressed optimism, stating, “We are expecting that the issue of government formation will be discussed,” before departing Imphal for New Delhi.

The Union government imposed President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13 last year, just four days after Biren Singh stepped down as Chief Minister, with the rule set to conclude on February 12 this year.

The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which is scheduled to serve until 2027, has remained in a state of suspended animation.

Since the imposition of President’s Rule, senior leaders from the BJP central committee, including national General Secretary B.L. Santhosh and Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, have conducted multiple meetings with Manipur MLAs in both New Delhi and Imphal.

The BJP holds 37 seats in the state Assembly, while its NDA partners—the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF)—hold six and five seats, respectively. Additionally, three Independent MLAs are also backing the BJP-led NDA.