Sambit Patra continues hunt for new CM face
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 11 2025: BJP national spokesperson and Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra continues to meet state's BJP legislators individually and hold closed-door meetings at Hotel Imphal since Monday.

Reliable sources indicated that the BJP leader has been camping here since February 9, the day chief minister N Biren Singh resigned, and meeting BJP legislators to appoint a new leader.

He has been meeting the state legislators separately since Monday.

From 10 am Tuesday, Sambit Patra met different party leaders and legislators including ministers Th Biswajit, Awangbow Newmai, Dr Sapam Ranjan, BJP Manipur Pradesh A Sharda Devi, MLAs Mayanglambam Rameshwar, Th Radheshyam, S Keba, Kh Ibomcha and BJP state general secretary K Sarat Singh.

Sambit Patra and A Sharda also called on Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Monday, amid the leadership crisis following the resignation of N Biren from the post of chief minister.

Patra and Sharda were accompanied by Education minister Th Basanta, NPF Manipur president Awangbow Newmai and JD-U MLA Nasir.

The meeting with the Governor lasted for around half-an-hour, sources said, adding the outcome is not yet known.

Two days after the resignation of N Biren, uncertainty over next government formation prevails even as a section of political leaders frantically made queries about prospects of President's Rule in the state.

The possibility of President's Rule issue dominated the headlines after the Governor made the budget session of the Manipur assembly 'null and void' hours after Biren quit on Sunday.

The Budget session of the Manipur Assembly was scheduled to start on Monday (February 10) with the customary speech of the Governor and it would have continued till February 24 .

On February 14, Chief Minister Biren Singh, who also held the Finance portfolio, was expected to submit the Budget estimates for the financial year 2025-26.A top official said that the last session of the Manipur assembly was held in August last year and as part of the constitutional mandate another session must be held within six months.

"By February 12, the assembly session has to be started to maintain the gap of six months between the two sessions," the official clarified while talking to IANS.

So far, Sambit Patra has held meetings with the caretaker Chief Minister Biren Singh, other Ministers, MLAs and leaders of BJP and other saffron party allies to take their views before selection of the new legislature party leader.

According to a top BJP leader, Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh and MAHUD minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, and Rajya MP Leishemba Sanajaoba are the frontrunners for the chief minister's post.

"The party is trying to choose a leader who will be acceptable both among tribals - Kuki-Zo-Hmar and Naga and majority non-tribal Meetei communities," a leader told IANS, refusing to be named.

He said that last week, the Central BJP leaders called CM Biren Singh along with three ministers, a few leaders and MLAs to Delhi and discussed the political and ethnic situation in Manipur.

The central leaders also separately called Satyabrata Singh and Khemchand Singh and discussed political issues in the trouble-torn state.

Both Satyabrata, Khemchand and Sanajaoba belong to the Meetei community, which account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley while Nagas and Kuki-Zo-Hmar constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill as well as valley districts, prior to outbreak of the violence.

Biren's resignation comes amid hectic political activities, with the Opposition Congress earlier announcing to move a no-conhdence motion against the BJP government in the Assembly session.

(With inputs from PTI & IANS) .

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