Biren Singh tenders resignation to governor

BJP won the Manipur assembly elections 2022 independently.

By Anoushka Sawhney

Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh tendered his resignation to Governor La Ganeshan on March 11, the day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Manipur state assembly elections 2022.

BJP retained its power in the state by winning 32 of 60 seats on March 10, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) Website.

Singh said that the new government would be formed before March 19, and the new leader will be announced in a couple of days.

On March 11 at 1:23, Singh tweeted, “Called on Hon’ble Governor of Manipur at the Raj Bhavan to tender my resignation from the post of Chief Minister today. I will now be serving as the caretaker Chief Minister.”

When a CM resigns, which occurs after the general elections, the caretaker CM (outgoing CM) holds the position until the governor announces a new CM.

The drastic change in the seats of the leading parties made a difference in Manipur's results.

As per ECI, the National People’s Party (NPP) won seven seats, Naga People's Front won five seats, and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JD-U) made a comeback after 20 years and won six seats.

The Indian National Congress (INC), which was the single largest party in 2017, won five seats – a decrease of 23 seats from 2017.

Singh defeated the Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh by 18,271 votes.

The Kuki People Alliance, formed in January 2022 to represent the interests of the Kuki tribe, won both the seats it contested, that is, Singhat and Saikul.

BJP has become the second party after Congress to gain a second term.

In the 2017 state elections, two women out of 11 women contestants had won. This year five women out of 17 won the seats.

S.S. Olish (BJP) from Chandel, Kimneo Haokip Hangsingh (Kuki People’s Alliance) from Saikul, Nimcha Kipgen (BJP) from Kangpokpi, Irengbam Nalini Devi (National People’s Party) from Oinam, and Sagolshem Kebi Devi (BJP) from Naoriya Pakhanglakpa have won their seats.

NPF, NPP and the BJP had come together after the 2017 state assembly elections but fought the 2022 elections independently.

With BJP’s victory, Manipur becomes the third state along with Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura to have a majority.

In the hill sub-region and plains region, the seat share of NPF and NPP has either increased or remained the same from 2017.

As seen in the past, Manipur votes for the party at the centre.

The voter turnout this year in the state was 86.58 per cent. In 2012 and 2017, it was 79.19 per cent and 86.59 per cent, respectively.

Cover image credit: Livemint