Sources said the BJP leaders discussed the possibility of restoring a popular government and invited Kuki–Zo MLAs to an upcoming meeting of the party’s legislative wing.
BY PC Bureau
November 13, 2025: In a significant political outreach amid Manipur’s prolonged President’s Rule, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh and Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra on Thursday held a series of meetings with party legislators, office bearers, Kuki-Zo Council , and representatives of the Zomi tribe in Churachandpur district.
According to party sources, the BJP leaders also met three Kuki–Zo MLAs from the party to discuss government formation and invited them to attend a meeting of all BJP legislators to be convened soon. The date and venue of the meeting, however, remain undisclosed.
The consultations are being viewed as the first clear indication that the BJP and the Centre are moving towards revoking President’s Rule and restoring an elected government in the state. Several BJP leaders from Imphal, including former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, have recently claimed that New Delhi is actively considering their demand to reinstate a BJP-led government in Manipur.
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Sources said the ten Kuki–Zo MLAs—who have maintained distance from Imphal since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023—are unlikely to participate in any new government formation exercise and will not accept ministerial portfolios. However, the MLAs are not expected to oppose the move either, recognising that the BJP already commands a comfortable majority with the support of Naga MLAs and the NPP.
During the meeting, the Kuki–Zo legislators reportedly urged Santhosh and Patra to take urgent measures to address the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the hill districts and highlighted the neglect of development activities in their areas.
The coming days will be critical for the Kuki–Zo MLAs, who have long remained fence-sitters—silent on both the core political aspirations of their people and the hardships their community continues to endure.
Party sources said Santhosh and Patra also held detailed discussions with state office bearers on the prevailing situation, development priorities, and organisational matters in both the valley and the hills.
Context: Push to Restore Elected Government
The high-level visit by Santhosh and Patra comes as Manipur completes ten months under President’s Rule, imposed on February 15, 2025, following Biren Singh’s resignation amid allegations of administrative failure and graft.
BJP insiders said the central leadership is now keen to restore political normalcy before the end of the year, viewing the reinstallation of an elected government as crucial to stabilising governance and security operations in the conflict-hit state.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Kuki–Zo Coordination Committee (KZC), who also met the BJP leaders at the Churachandpur DC Bungalow, said they had apprised them of their stance—maintaining status quo along the buffer zones and seeking early settlement of the political dialogue under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework before any new government is formed.
“We made it clear that while we are not opposed to the Government of India’s decisions, ground realities do not allow our willful participation in government formation at this juncture,” a KZC representative said.
