Talks gather pace on restoring Manipur government as President’s rule clocks one year

Guwahati: As president's rule completes one-year next month, hectic parleys are underway for restoration of popular government in Manipur.

Manipur has been under President rule since February 13, 2025. The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which, after the promulgation of President rule, has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027.

Kuki Zo groups have agreed to join the government provided they get in writing that negotiated political settlement for a Union territory with legislature under the Constitution will be provided to them.


On Tuesday a meeting was held in Guwahati where United People’s Front and Kuki National Organisation (KNO), these are insurgent groups presently under Suspension of Operations (SoO), five MLAs and two representatives of the Kuki-Zo Council and a civil society group participated.

They resolved that a definitive political solution for the Kuki-Zo people must be achieved before the General Election of 2027.

A senior BJP leader who does not want to be named said, “Parleys are on with different groups and leaders and their positive vibes as hard stands are softened now. We will see the installation of a popular government by February this year.”

On December 15 last year the BJP leadership had a couple of rounds of discussion with BJP MLAs of the state. BJP MLAs from Kuki community and Meitei community for the first time since the violence broke out on May 3, 2023, sat together in the discussion with the party’s leadership.

A total of 34 BJP MLAs attended the meeting, including Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Satyabrata and former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. Among the seven BJP MLAs from the Kuki community, Nemcha Kipgen , Ngursanglur Sanate , L.M. Khaute and Letzamang Haokip participated in the discussions. However, three Kuki BJP MLAs—Letpao Haokip, Paolienlal Haokip and Vungzagin Valte —were absent due to what were described as unavoidable reasons.

The BJP in a post on its official X account had said: "The Manipur BJP Legislature Party meeting was held today at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, in the presence of BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh ji and party's Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra ji." The discussion centred on the peace and progress of Manipur, the BJP said in an X post.

A senior BJP leader who does not want to be named told ET, “Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh continues to remain one of the strongest contenders for the chief ministerial post. There are two distinct camps, one backing Singh’s return and another siding with Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh”.

BJP has 37 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. In October last year, 26 BJP MLAs, including N. Biren Singh, had met B.L. Santhosh and Sambit Patra in Delhi and urged them to "install a popular government" in Manipur, expressing readiness to resume governance as a united team.

Over 260 people were killed, more than 1,500 injured, and over 60,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.