New Delhi: Eight months after she took charge as a deputy chief minister in Manipur, Nemcha Kipgen, who belongs to the Kuki-Zo community, is yet to visit her office in Imphal once. In fact, she took oath as deputy CM virtually from Delhi.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh himself has been running the government with a small Council of five members, including deputy CMs Kipgen and Losii Dikho. Kipgen and Dikho, the Naga People’s Front MLA and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally, are at loggerheads, each accusing the other of fuelling violence between the Kukis and the Nagas.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP A. Sharda Devi continues as the BJP state president without any official communication from the central BJP, even as her three-year term ended in July 2024. Such is the state of affairs in Manipur that is heading to polls early next year.
Amidst this scenario, a team from the Election Commission visited Manipur on 22 October to assess poll preparedness across 16 districts. A senior state government official told ThePrint that they have been asked to start preparations as the term of the government ends 13 March. “All indications are that elections will be held before that.”
Spotlight on BJP govt
A renewed escalation in ethnic violence since February, after Khemchand Singh took over as CM, has put the spotlight on the BJP-led government as well as the party in Manipur.
Over 50 people, almost all of them tribal Kukis and Nagas, have been killed, after a brief lull in violence during the one year of President’s Rule, which ended February. The latest incident of violence left three Meitei villagers dead in an attack allegedly carried out by Kuki militants last Monday. It was the first time since January that Meitei civilians were targeted.
ꯁꯨꯅꯨꯔꯣꯛ ꯒꯤ ꯂꯥꯏꯕꯛ ꯊꯤꯕ ꯊꯧꯗꯣꯛꯇ ꯂꯩꯈꯤꯗ꯭ꯔꯕꯁꯤꯡꯒꯤ ꯏꯃꯨꯡꯁꯤꯡꯗ ꯆꯠꯇꯨꯅ ꯂꯩꯍꯧꯔꯤꯕ ꯏꯃꯨꯡ ꯃꯅꯨꯡꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯁꯤꯡꯅ ꯅꯪꯍꯧꯔꯤꯕ ꯑꯋꯥꯕꯗ ꯁꯔꯨꯛ ꯌꯥꯖꯔꯨꯔꯦ ꯫
ꯖꯦ.ꯑꯦ.ꯁꯤ. ꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯁꯤꯡꯁꯨ ꯎꯅꯗꯨꯅ ꯋꯥꯔꯤ… pic.twitter.com/BTaHWKijFj
— Khemchand Yumnam (@YKhemchandSingh) October 26, 2026
Multiple BJP leaders, including MLAs, as well as government officials told ThePrint that there is a growing feeling that the Khemchand Singh government has not been able to get a grip on the violence. “The CM means well but has not been empowered enough… It is still the Governor (Ajay Bhalla) who calls the shots,” a senior BJP state leader told ThePrint.
The escalation, just ahead of the assembly elections, does not augur well for the government, the leaders said. That CM Khemchand Singh, who replaced N.Biren Singh, is running the government with just four ministers, adds to the perception that it’s a “temporary arrangement” till the elections, they added.
A BJP MLA told ThePrint that Khemchand Singh, a Meitei, has made efforts to reach out to different communities. He has visited the hills inhabited by the Kukis and Nagas. Few Meitei leaders have visited these areas since the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis broke out in May 2023. Singh also visited Kangpokpi district, where Kukis form the majority, and Senapati district, which is dominated by Nagas. The main road from Imphal to Senapati passes through Kangpokpi.
ꯁꯤꯅꯥꯏ ꯗꯦꯖꯤꯛꯅꯦꯇꯦꯗ ꯀꯦꯝꯄ (ꯍꯧꯖꯤꯛꯅ ꯁꯤ.ꯑꯥꯔ.ꯄꯤ.ꯑꯦꯐ. ꯂꯩꯈ꯭ꯔꯕ) ꯗ ꯑꯣꯅꯔꯦꯕꯜ ꯑꯦꯝ.ꯑꯦꯜ.ꯑꯦ. ꯁ꯭ꯔꯤ ꯊꯣꯛꯆꯣꯝ ꯔꯥꯙꯦꯁ꯭ꯌꯥꯝ ꯁꯤꯡꯍ, ꯁꯔꯀꯥꯔꯒꯤ ꯀꯔꯃꯆꯥꯔꯤ ꯑꯃꯗꯤ ꯁꯦꯀ꯭ꯌꯨꯔꯤꯇꯤ ꯐꯣꯔꯁꯦꯁ ꯁꯤꯡꯒ ꯂꯣꯏꯅꯅ… pic.twitter.com/egZyOBioNd
— Khemchand Yumnam (@YKhemchandSingh) October 25, 2026
Last Sunday, the CM visited the Sinai camp in Kangpokpi that was taken over by the security forces. There were 159 cadres from two Kuki armed groups covered by the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, who were housed there. But when security forces went to check, they found that 158 of them were missing, forcing them to take control of the camp.
In fact, Singh was the first Meitei MLA to visit a Kuki relief camp in Ukhrul district last December. “But this is not enough. No serious reconciliation effort has been made between the different communities, who are still fighting with each other. Earlier it was the Meiteis and Kukis, now it is largely Kukis and Nagas who are fighting,” the BJP MLA explained.
The ethnic distrust is also reflected in the fact that even after over three years, almost all Kuki MLAs including deputy CM Kipgen have not been able to set foot in Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
There have been two assembly sessions since February. Of the 10 Kuki MLAs currently in Manipur Assembly, not one came to Imphal to attend the first session in February. One of them, Vungzagin Valte, who was brutally assaulted by a mob in Imphal, died in a Gurugram hospital this February.
The assembly session in September saw only two Kuki MLAs—Haokholet Kipgen, an Independent and Kimneo Haokip Hangshing from Kuki People’s Alliance, a BJP ally—arrive in Imphal.
“The fact that even the minister and MLAs do not feel safe to come to Imphal to attend the assembly session despite the heavy security presence is a reflection of the situation on the ground,” a BJP MLA, who served as a minister in the Biren Singh government, told ThePrint.
On 19 October, Kipgen announced that she would visit Imphal soon and will discharge her duties from there. It would have been her first visit since taking charge and the first since the violence broke out in May 2023.
“But before Nemcha could come, three Meitei civilians were killed by suspected Kuki militants. There is tension again in the valley. No Kuki will dare to come to Imphal in such a scenario.”
Multiple calls to CM Khemchnad Singh for his views went unattended. The report will be updated as and when a response is received.
Division within BJP govt
A third BJP MLA added that the Khemchand Singh government itself is divided. The NPF has threatened to walk out of the government if Kipgen is not removed from the post of deputy Chief Minister.
Losii Dikho told ThePrint that the NPF is sticking to its demand. “Nemcha’s husband Thangboi Kipgen heads the Kuki National Front (President). He is involved in attacks on Naga villages despite KNF(P) being a signatory to SoO agreement. How can you have a lawmaker and lawbreaker living together? How is it being allowed? She has to resign,” he demanded.
The BJP has 36 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. With support from five NPF MLAs, six from National People’s Party, two from Kuki National Alliance and three Independents, the BJP-led alliance’s tally stands at 52.
“It is not that the government will fall if the NPF walks out of the alliance. But ahead of elections, it will not reflect well on the BJP government,” the second BJP leader said.
Both Naga and some Meitei MLAs are demanding that the SoO pact involving the Kuki armed groups, the Manipur government and the Centre be scrapped. The agreement, last renewed for a year on 4 September 2025, has expired. The Centre has not yet said whether it will renew the pact.
State BJP in a disarray
BJP leaders also point to how even the party is in a disarray in the state. For instance, BJP state chief Sharda Devi is on an extension. “The BJP president’s term is for a period of three years. But Sharda Devi has continued in her role even after her term ended. There has been no formal announcement from the central BJP re-appointing her as state BJP president,” another state BJP leader said. “You can gauge the importance given to the state BJP from this.”
Sharda Devi was elected unopposed to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur in June.
ThePrint reached out to Sharda Devi several times since last week. On Wednesday morning, she called saying she has a toothache and will respond later. The report will be updated as and when she responds.
Several BJP leaders who spoke to ThePrint said there is widespread discontent within the party over the current situation.
“Nobody seems to be bothered. There was to be a reshuffle in the state unit…it has not happened. Nobody is reaching out to the party workers at district and mandals. Nobody is discussing what should be the agenda of the MLAs when they go to their constituency seeking votes,” the third BJP leader said, adding that the MLAs are also unhappy.
“The cabinet has not been expanded. MLAs were hopeful of ministerial berths…that did not happen,” a senior state BJP leader said.
Some of the MLAs like L.Sushindra, a minister in the previous BJP government, have vented their anger publicly. Sushindra had 14 August said he would leave the party because of the way the government is being run.
One of the BJP MLAs quoted earlier said that there has not been any direction from the party high command on election preparations. “We were told Sambit Patra and B.L.Santhosh will come for three-four days in October and interact with the MLAs about election preparedness. But they are yet to visit. The party workers are frustrated.”
ThePrint reached out to Patra, BJP’s north-east coordinator, for a comment but he did not respond to phone calls.
The Biren factor
Former CM N.Biren Singh might be out of power and sidelined in the party but he continues to be one of the most recognizable faces in the state BJP.
“He is a divisive force and the Kukis hate him unlike the present CM Khemchand Singh. There is still a lot of opposition from a section of state BJP leaders. But the fact remains that he is one of the visible BJP faces in the state,” the former BJP minister quoted earlier, said.
Earlier this month, the former CM told ThePrint that what is happening in Manipur is because of disunity among the party colleagues and it will affect the BJP in the elections.
“…in the Valley, peace has returned but internally people are not happy with the government. It will affect us in the elections. So, we should be very practical and transparent. At least four-five months are there. If we have to come to power, we have to be practical and transparent,” Biren Singh said.
The third BJP MLA quoted earlier added that time is running out for the party. “We have to put our act together, otherwise there will be problems for us. It is high time the central leadership takes note of the situation and addresses the grievances of party leaders and workers,” the MLA warned.
(Edited by Tony Rai)