NEW DELHI, Dec 15: In a significant political development that could signal a shift in Manipur’s prolonged leadership crisis, BJP MLAs from both the Meitei and Kuki communities appeared together in public for the first time since the ethnic unrest began on May 3, 2023. The meeting, held in New Delhi on Sunday, has fueled intense speculation regarding the potential formation of a new government in the state.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, following the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. With pressure mounting from various sections of the party to stake a claim for governance, the joint appearance of legislators - who have remained geographically and politically separated for over a year - marks a rare moment of visibility for cross-community engagement within the ruling party.
High-Level Strategy Meeting
The BJP Manipur Legislature Party convened at the party’s national headquarters, attended by the party’s National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh and Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra. According to party insiders, the discussion centered on peace-building measures, the restoration of normalcy, and the overall progress of the state.
Sources described the gathering as an attempt to bring all MLAs across community lines into a common dialogue framework. This follows recent consultations held by Santhosh and Patra with state leaders in Manipur last month.
Context of Deep Divisions
The meeting assumes heightened significance coming just days after representatives of Kuki-Zo groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework - the United People's Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) - held tripartite talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 12.
During those talks, Kuki-Zo leaders firmly stated that "reintegration under the existing state administrative framework is no longer possible". Citing a complete breakdown of the "social contract" between the Kuki-Zo people and the State of Manipur, these groups have demanded the creation of a Union Territory with a Legislature as an "existential necessity". They argued that the physical separation of populations since May 2023 and the alleged weaponization of state machinery have made a separate political solution the only viable path to stability.
The presence of Kuki BJP MLAs at the party meeting in Delhi stands in complex contrast to this prevailing sentiment of separation articulated by the community's leadership bodies.
Congress Lashes Out
The Manipur Congress responded sharply to the BJP’s high-level convening. MPCC President K. Meghachandra dismissed the meeting as a futile exercise, likening the legislators to students.
"Instead of restoring law and order in Manipur, the BJP has reduced its MLAs to students, attending crash courses in Delhi on how to justify administrative failures back home," Meghachandra stated in a social media post.
As the BJP weighs its options for government formation amidst these intricate challenges, all eyes remain on the party's next strategic move to address the vacuum in the state.
