Manipur: Who will head the next government?

“While Chief Minister N Biren Singh is the frontrunner, at least two other candidates are eyeing the post,” a senior BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, told ET. “Although there are multiple contenders, the party will decide taking into account the views of the MLA. The party recognizes the fact that elections were fought under Biren, and that the BJP got splendid results.”

Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh on Friday said that government formation will take place before March 19, the day on which the term of the current assembly expires. On Friday, Singh submitted his resignation to the Governor after the cabinet meeting.

“I expect central observers will very soon come to the state,” said Biren Singh.

The BJP has won 32 seats in the house of 60.

Bishenpur MLA Govindas Konthoujam is also seen as a contender for the post. He was Pradesh Congress president and he resigned from the Congress and state assembly and joined the BJP last year.

Govindas studied at the Rama Krishna Mission Vidyalaya at Narendrapur in West Bengal, and has won seven times from the Bishenpur constituency.

Thongam Biswajit Singh could also be in the race.

“Biswajit Singh was the minister for rural development and panchayati raj department,” said the BJP leader cited above. “In 2019, he was divested of the public works and power portfolios.”

Biswajit Singh earlier denied allegations of huge withdrawal of funds during the polls when the code of conduct was in force.

Biswajit, along with 16 other BJP MLAs, were pressing the central party leaders to replace Biren Singh as chief minister.

Biswajit won on a Trinamool ticket in 2012. He was elected as MLA from the Thongju constituency. In 2015, he resigned from the Trinamool congress , joined the BJP and fought the bye election and won.

Yumnam Khemchand Singh, MLA from Singjamei and the House speaker, is also seen as another contender. He unsuccessfully contested polls in 2012 and lost to Congress nominee Irengbam

Hemochandra Singh. Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, the MLA from Heirok, is another contender for the post.

There is speculation that the party might use the Assam template where the party refrained from naming the chief ministerial candidate while Sarbananda Sonowal was still in office. After the polls, Himanta Biswa Sarma was made the chief minister of the second BJP government in the state last year.

In the run up to the polls, BJP has refrained from projecting someone as the chief minister as there were other contenders for the post and Biren had strained relationship with the erstwhile ruling coalition ally, the National People’s Party (NPP).

Two independent MLAs and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) expressed their support to the BJP-led formation. NPF was part of the earlier government, although it fought elections on its own and won five seats.

The Janata Dal (United) has announced that Khumukcham Joykisan Singh is the leader of its legislature Party. The JDU is supporting the government.

“In the interest of the people of Manipur, the JD(U) has decided to give support to the BJP in the formation of the government,” the party said.