Questions and questions before 2027 : Reflection of the uncertainties
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 09, 2026 -

Manipur delivered a powerful statement in the 2024 Parliamentary elections, backing the Congress candidates in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency as well as in the Outer seat.

Back then, the BJP led Government was firmly in place at Imphal and President’s Rule came one year later on February 13, 2025.

The failure to resolve the ongoing clash, which erupted in all its ugliness on May 3, 2023 is the reason for the pathetic showing of the saffron party in two Parliamentary seats and between 2023 and 2026 Delhi stepped in directly and decided to assume direct charge, dismissing the BJP led Government on February 13, 2025 with the then Chief Minister made to put in his paper on February 9, 2025.

Nearly one year since then and the talk doing the round is whether the popularly Government would be reinstalled or whether Delhi would look for ways to continue with the PR regime.

No one seems to know, but what has come out in black and white and for the people to read, know and digest is the stand of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), which has made it clear that the MLAs representing them would not be part of any Government formation until and unless their demand for separation is fulfilled in the form of a Union Territory.

Delhi has on more than one occasion made it known that administratively bifurcating Manipur is not on its agenda, and if this stands true, then what could be the unsaid but apparent demand in the stand of the KZC ?

And when one says demand of the KZC, the overwhelming influence of the armed groups under the SoO pact cannot be just brushed aside.

This is what Manipur would need to study, and deeply and sincerely at that.

To be sure Delhi would have also studied the stand of the KZC beyond its self proclaimed stand that no Kuki-Zo MLAs would take part in any Government formation for this would amount to boycotting Government formation.

In such a case where would that place the BJP when 2027 comes, the year Manipur is scheduled to go in for Assembly elections ?

As noted, the BJP Government at Delhi must have surely studied the finer details of all the possible political fallouts and so would the KZC and the armed Kuki-Chin-Zo groups which are under the SoO pact.

Would staying away from Government formation take the KZC and the SoO groups anywhere nearer to the demand for a Separate Administration or is this another political step to stay relevant in the unfolding political development ?

What about the 10 Kuki-Chin-Zo MLAs, particularly the 7 BJP MLAs and the two KPA MLAs who have extended support to the BJP led Government at Imphal ?

How about the State unit of the BJP and the BJP MLAs elected from the Meitei dominated areas as well as the two Naga MLAs ?

Any decision that Delhi takes will have a huge impact on the prospects of the BJP in Manipur and Assembly election is the best time for the people to demonstrate where the party stands in their perspective.

All questions and all these questions have come as a result of the uncertainties.

The only thing certain is the fact that Manipur is far from the understanding of normalcy and perhaps it was in keeping this point in mind that RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat, not so long back, told a gathering that working out the differences will take time.

It was in line with the statement of Bhagwat that The Sangai Express had noted that it could take some more time for a popularly elected Government to return.

But nothing is certain in the topsy turvy world of politics and the closed door meetings at Delhi, with nothing spelt out to come to the public domain and with the PR regime fast approaching the one year mark, speculations have begun doing the round on the return of a popularly elected Government.

And it is in line with the speculations doing the round that the KZC has come out more than once on where the Kuki-Chin-Zo MLAs stand on the question of Government formation.

Still a few days left for the PR regime to touch the one year mark, and anything can happen in the next few days, but what is clear is that the BJP does not stand on any firm ground at the moment and Delhi should understand who should be responsible for this.

Only a few meaningful steps can bring it back to the reckoning of the public and that is ensuring free movement on the National Highways, settling the demand for a National Register of Citizens, the ST for Meiteis demand, complete rehabilitation of all displaced persons and doing away with the buffer zones.

It is left to the State BJP to highlight these points to the Centre.