'PR extension is to keep Assembly alive and re-instal popular Govt'
Eyes set on strong BJP Govt before 2027
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 01 2025:
The steps being taken up by the Government to extend President's Rule in Manipur is a move towards re-installation of a popular Government in the State, according to some politicians who requested anonymity.
Bringing the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly under suspended animation, President's Rule was imposed in the State on February 13, 2025 for a period of six months.
With the six-month period expiring on August 12, the Central Government has already initiated due process to extend the PR by another six months.
A statutory resolution for extension of PR in Manipur was approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The same resolution is likely to be approved by the Rajya Sabha too in the next couple of days.
Notably, the resolution has been already admitted in the Rajya Sabha for discussion.
Some politicians well versed in Parliamentary affairs said that the steps being taken by the Centre to extend PR in Manipur is aimed at keeping the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly alive and keeping the option of reviving it afloat.
If the PR is not extended, the 12 th Manipur Legislative Assembly must be dissolved with effect from August 13.In such a scenario, fresh elections must be held within six months, the politicians said.
Retaining or replacing the ex-Chief Minister and his Cabinet Ministers is another matter, but it is imperative to instal a BJP-led Government in Manipur if BJP must survive in the State, they said.
To a query, the politicians said that BJP's performance in the 2027 State Assembly election will be quite poor if a strong and efficient Government cannot be installed considering the fact that the people of Manipur have deep-rooted grievances and indignation against BJP leaders of both the State and the Centre following the protracted violent crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023.Given this strong possibility, BJP National leaders as well as the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre would definitely want installation of a popular Government in the State, they said.
In the last Lok Sabha election, BJP fielded its candidate in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and it supported the NPF candidate in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency.
Even though the two candidates were supported by a large number of MLAs with the exception of the 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs and the five Congress MLAs, they suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of rival Congress candidates.
The BJP candidate and the NPF candidate suffered crushing defeats not because their rivals were extraordinarily popular but because the people had deep-rooted rancour and indignation against the BJP-led Governments of both the State and the Centre, the well-known politicians said.
On being asked whether the BJP Central leadership became nonchalant to Manipur or BJP Manipur considering the fact Manipur has only two Lok Sabha seats, and specially after the party's debacle in the last Lok Sabha elections, the politicians maintained that it would be wrong to assume BJP Central leadership became indifferent to Manipur and the BJP State unit.
If the BJP Central leaders do not care about Manipur BJP, they will try to dissolve the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and hold fresh elections in Manipur instead of extending the President's Rule, they said.
BJP's fortune will plummet in Manipur if the Central leaders adopt such a line of action.
That is why, BJP Central leaders have been working to extend the PR and create a suitable condition so as to install a popular Government in the State, they claimed.
On being enquired about the suitable or favourable condition, the politicians maintained that restoring complete peace and normalcy will take time; the Centre seems focused on ensuring free movement and preventing further clashes.
At the same time, the Ministry of Home Affairs has talked several times with CSOs of both the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities with the primary objective of bringing peace in Manipur, they said.
Notably, a consultative meeting of Kuki-Zo people was held a few days back.
Even though the meeting did not take any concrete decision, it arrived at a broad understanding to safeguard the 'buffer zones' and not to pose any hindrance to movement on National Highways on the condition that people (Meitei) may move on the National Highways at their own risk.
Incidentally, the State Government and Manipur Police have been saying that there is no such thing as buffer zones in the State.
Allowing free movement on National Highways and at the same time, preventing Meiteis from crossing the 'buffer zones' are quite contradictory, the politicians said.
Even if it takes time, the Centre must ponder over the issue and work meticulously to bring lasting peace in Manipur and prevent unlawful elements from using National Highways as a tool of keeping the entire population at ransom, the politicians said.
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