New Delhi: About seven months after the Yumnam Khemchand Singh-led BJP government took charge in Manipur, it is still running with just four cabinet ministers, with the chief minister himself handling about 20 portfolios that have not been allotted.
Khemchand Singh was made chief minister in February 2026, after President’s Rule in the state ended. The Centre had imposed President’s Rule in February 2025, four days after N. Biren Singh resigned as chief minister. The state assembly, where the BJP was in a majority, was put under suspended animation.
At least two ministers and several senior BJP leaders in the state told ThePrint the delay in expanding the cabinet is impacting decision-making and governance in the state, which has been reeling under ethnic tensions since May 2023.
The sanctioned strength of the council of ministers in Manipur is 12, including the chief minister. This means there is space to accommodate seven more ministers in the cabinet. But with no clarity on when an expansion will happen, if at all, the state is being run by the chief minister and his four cabinet colleagues.
Of the four cabinet ministers, the two deputy chief ministers have been sparring openly. One of them, Losii Dikho, along with eight other Naga MLAs, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, accusing the other deputy CM, Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki, of colluding with Kuki militants and fuelling violence against the Nagas.
Kipgen, on her part, has denied the allegations.
A senior state BJP leader and a sitting MLA told ThePrint they have raised the issue of Cabinet expansion with the chief minister multiple times.
“The CM has also met Governor Ajay Bhalla and the Central leadership in Delhi, including Home Minister Amit Shah, and pressed for expanding the cabinet. But the high command, it seems, is yet to give the go-ahead,” the BJP MLA, who was a minister in the Biren Singh-led government, said.
With each passing day, the senior leader said, chances of a cabinet expansion look unlikely. “The term of the present government ends in February next year. There is very little time left. Even if the cabinet is expanded now, new ministers will have very little time to showcase their work before the elections. Maybe that is the reason the central leadership is not inclined,” the former minister in the Biren Singh government said.
Losii Dikho told ThePrint in an interview Thursday that he feels the government has been impacted because there has been no cabinet expansion. “I always say to CM Khemchand Singh, let us expand, let us share the responsibility. But I don’t know what is the wisdom of the CM or the central leadership. Right now, only five of us are sharing the responsibility; it is very difficult for us,” he said.
Dikho added, “I am the deputy CM, having no other power except two departments. But other ministers, if we share responsibilities, this situation can be changed. But I don’t know what the thought process is…. Other MLAs are also grumbling.”
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The portfolios
While the chief minister handles finance, personnel and administrative reforms, planning, IT among over 20 other departments that have not been allotted yet,
Govindas Konthoujam, considered close to former chief minister Biren Singh, handles the home, sports and youth affairs.
Of the two deputy CMs, while Dikho, the Naga MLA from Senapati, is in charge of the public health engineering department and forest, environment and climate change, Nemcha Kipgen, the Kuki MLA from Kangpokpi, has been given the rural development, panchayati raj, tribal affairs and hills department.
The fourth cabinet minister, Khuraijam Loken Singh from the National People’s Party, looks after arts, culture and tourism.
A senior state BJP MLA, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint that several departments, which are under CM Khemchand Singh, are suffering. “There is renewed tension in the state. The CM is trying his best to handle the situation. He does not have the time to look after each of the over 20 departments he is in charge of. It’s not humanly possible,” the BJP MLA said.
He said that the state leadership’s hands are tied as they have not been fully empowered.
“The CM has not been given a free hand, be it in matters related to finance or otherwise. He has to consult the Governor for everything. He cannot carry out even major transfers on his own. For everything, he has to wait for a green signal. This is affecting governance. The rehabilitation of thousands of internally displaced persons because of the ethnic clashes is also not happening at the pace it should,” the MLA said.
Manipur, the second BJL MLA added, is being treated like an orphan by the Centre. “Just see the state BJP. The party high command is yet to appoint a president. Things are in total disarray,” the MLA said.
President’s Rule was imposed after the law and order situation in the state deteriorated after ethnic conflict erupted between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo in May 2023. The then BJP-led government of N. Biren Singh had failed to get a grip on the situation. Singh eventually resigned in February 2025, three years after taking charge as the chief minister for the second consecutive term.
Violence declined considerably during President’s Rule, but there has been renewed tension in the last few months in the hills, with the Kukis and Nagas fighting each other. The Meiteis are out of the picture now.
Indecisiveness in administration also
A senior state government official, who did not wish to be named, said there is an air of indecisiveness in the administration also.
“Since May 2023, the state has been segregated on ethnic lines. While the Meiteis are now living in Imphal Valley, all the Kukis have moved to the hills or outside the state. All departments in government, be it the secretariat or police, hospitals or schools and colleges, have been working with just Meiteis in the Valley and Kukis in the hills. We thought, once a government takes charge, slowly normalcy will be restored. But nothing of the sort has happened,” the official said.
Earlier this week, Manipur got its fifth chief secretary, Rajeev Singh Thakur, a 1995-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, who was deputed to the Manipur cadre. Thakur takes over from Puneet Kumar Goel, who retired on 31 August. Before Goel, Manipur has seen three chief secretaries in quick succession since May 2023.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)