Imphal: Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on Wednesday after no consensus emerged on a successor to former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who resigned three days earlier.
The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the move amid a constitutional deadline to reconvene the state Assembly.
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Article 174(1) of the Constitution mandates that state legislatures must hold sessions within six months of their last sitting. Manipur’s previous Assembly session concluded on August 12, 2023, making Wednesday the final day to comply. However, Governor Ajay Bhalla canceled the Budget session slated to begin Monday, following Singh’s abrupt resignation on Sunday.
Singh stepped down hours before his government was to face a no-confidence motion and a floor test, sidestepping a potential political collapse.
His resignation caps months of pressure from opposition groups demanding his removal over his handling of ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023. The crisis, which has claimed over 200 lives, reignited scrutiny of Singh’s leadership.
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The decision also follows a Supreme Court directive five days prior, ordering a central forensic lab to analyze leaked audio tapes allegedly capturing Singh claiming he instigated the violence. The court seeks a report within two weeks.
With the Assembly in limbo and no viable coalition to form a government, President’s Rule was invoked, marking Manipur’s first such intervention since 1993.