IMPHAL: BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh took oath as Chief Minister of Manipur at a ceremony in Lok Bhavan, hours after the revocation of President’s rule, which had been in place since February 2025. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla administered the oaths of office and secrecy. The central government removed the President’s Rule this afternoon just ahead of the oath taking ceremony.
BJP’s Nemcha Kipgen was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister virtually from New Delhi, while Naga People’s Front’s Losii Dikho took oath as the other Deputy CM. BJP’s Govindas Konthoujam and National People’s Party’s Kh Loken were inducted as ministers.
The event drew BJP legislators, senior party leaders, and top NDA figures from the state.
Earlier, CM Singh met Governor Ajay Bhalla and staked his claim to form a BJP-led NDA government. In a Facebook post, the newly appointed CM said: “I am confident that peace and development will guide the new Council of Ministers. Our priorities align with Viksit Bharat and Viksit Manipur, despite challenges ahead.”
Earlier on Tuesday, he was elected as the leader of the party’s legislative wing during a meeting at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. The BJP MLAs were asked to reach Delhi on Sunday by BJP central leadership. The demand for restoring a popular government was raised by the people in the state to bring back normalcy and peace.
The development follows the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9 last year, amid prolonged ethnic violence that has gripped the state for nearly three years. On 13th February 2025, the central government imposed president rule in the state for six months and later it was extended for another six months.
In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, the BJP commands 37 seats, bolstered by allies Naga People’s Front (5 MLAs) and Janata Dal (United) (1 MLA). The opposition controls 16 seats, including 6 from NPP, 5 from Congress, 3 independents, and 2 from Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA), which ended its support for Singh’s administration in August 2023.
A seasoned politician, Khemchand has represented the Singjamei constituency since winning assembly elections in 2017 and 2022. He served as Assembly Speaker from 2017 to 2022 and later joined Singh’s cabinet, overseeing municipal administration, housing and urban development (MAHUD), rural development, panchayati raj, and education.
Manipur went into trouble in May 2023 when ethnic clashes started in the state. Over 260 people lost their lives, and 60,000 people were internally displaced during the prolonged period of violence in the state. Peace and normalcy have returned to the troubled state in the last year. No major incidents of violence were reported in Manipur since February 2025, as central security forces tightened vigilance. Hundreds of militants were arrested, and a number of militant bunkers were dismantled by security agencies to curb the violence. Thousands of illegal and looted arms were recovered during the period. The home ministry is also having multiple levels of talks with militant organisations (both Kuki and Meitei) to support the peace process in Manipur.
With the restoration of popular government, lasting peace is expected to return to the state soon.
