Imphal: BJP top brass is taking its time to announce the next Chief Minister of Manipur even though several names are doing the rounds. The BJP has secured 32 seats in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly in the recently held elections. While the newly elected 60 MLAs have been given the oath of office and secrecy by a protem speaker, the BJP top brass is yet to name the leader who will be elected as the BJP legislature party leader.
Soon after the results were announced, Chief Minister N Biren Singh tendered his resignation to Governor La Ganeshan. Biren, for now, is the caretaker chief minister. While sources in the BJP initially indicated that there would not be any change of guard in the state, the silence of the party top brass has led people in the state to speculate otherwise. While Biren Singh is definitely a strong contender for the top slot, the name of former Minister Th Biswajit Singh has also cropped up. Biswajit is seen as one of the frontrunners for the chief minister's post along with Biren -- both of whom went to Delhi along with other senior leaders after election results were announced. Besides them, other names doing rounds include BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, former ministers and legislators like Govindas Konthoujam and former speaker of the Assembly Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
Biswajit Singh was a powerful minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister N Biren Singh from 2017, holding portfolios like Public Works, Power, rural development, Textiles, Commerce & Industry etc. Sharda Devi has been associated with the saffron party for a long time. A senior member of the saffron party in Manipur, Sharda Devi joined the BJP in 1995. Devi held the post of national secretary of the saffron party and was also a national vice president of the BJP. Govindas Konthoujam was a seven-time MLA from the Bishnupur constituency and was also the Chief of Congress party in Manipur in the past. A well-known politician, he has also been the Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly, who resigned from Congress to join the saffron party last year.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at Imphal airport after returning from Delhi, Biswajit Singh said there was no "groupism" in the Manipur BJP and state leaders went to Delhi to celebrate the party's victory in the assembly elections. Singh said the announcement on the new chief minister is delayed as Parliament is in session now. On reports that N Biren Singh may get a second term as the chief minister, he said it was speculation. "The Manipur BJP leaders' meeting with central leaders in New Delhi was to celebrate the party's victory in the recently-concluded state assembly elections. Nothing related to the BJP legislature party leader was discussed," he said. "The parliamentary board of the party will be announcing the state legislature party leader. The announcement is delayed as Parliament is in session now," he added. The state unit will follow the instructions of the central leaders, he said.
