Suspense over U’khand CM may be over in BJP meet today
Manipur's acting Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh was unanimously elected as the Chief Minister of the State, for the second-time in a row, in the BJP Legislature Party meeting in Imphal. However, the suspense over the name of the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand that has been going on for the past 11 days would be cleared in the meeting of the Legislature Party of the BJP on Monday.
The BJP leadership is also engaged in finalising the Cabinet of Yogi Adityanath and deciding the Chief Minister of Goa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss the formation of the Government in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand. Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and party chief JP Nadda were present at the meeting. Shah will be flying to Lucknow on Monday and holding a discussion with Yogi to give the final shape to his Cabinet.
Earlier today, the BJP announced that N Biren Singh will continue as the Chief Minister of Manipur for a second straight term. The announcement came a day after Singh, along with the other contenders — Biswajit Singh and Yumnam Khemchand — met the top leadership of the party.
Soon after the Legislature Party approved Singh as the State Chief Minister, the BJP's central observer for Manipur, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "It is a good decision taken unanimously by everyone. It will ensure that Manipur has a stable and responsible Government which will build the State further because the Centre today, under the leadership of PM Modi gives special attention to the North-Eastern States."
The Legislature Party's meeting and the announcement follow ten days of suspense since the Assembly poll results were announced with rival leaders Biren Singh and senior BJP MLA Biswajit Singh rushing to Delhi twice to meet central leaders.
A former football player, a BSF jawan, and a journalist, N Biren Singh was picked as the Chief Minister of Manipur for the second time after the BJP had won 32 seats in 60-member State Assembly. The BJP has the support of at least 11 more MLAs from two of its allies in the State.
Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav were also present on the occasion as central observers along with Sitharaman. All central observers and Union Ministers felicitated Singh on his selection as the CM and presented him with bouquets. BJP spokesperson and State-in-charge Sambit Patra, too, was present on the occasion and greeted the new CM. Singh had this week met with Modi with an indication that he would retain the top post. The BJP’s central observers for the State had landed in Imphal earlier in the day for the crucial meeting.
In the 2022 election BJP has won 32 seats, one more than the simple majority mark, reducing the main rival Congress to a few seats.
While the Congress had bagged 42 in 2012, this time around, ended up with five seats, two less than the National People's Party (NPP) headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
NPP which was an alliance partner of the BJP in the last government is no more a BJP alliance partner in the state.
The Naga People's Front (NPF), an ally of the BJP, has won five seats in the state assembly around the Naga inhabited hills in Manipur. NPF was an alliance partner of the BJP in the last Singh-headed government in Manipur.
The Janata Dal (United), which fielded many nominees rejected by the BJP has surprisingly won six assembly seats in Manipur and is also supporting the BJP.
The newly-floated Kuki People's Alliance has won two hill constituencies it contested in the state.
Meanwhile, the suspense on the names of Chief Minister of Uttarakhand where BJP returned to power is also likely to end soon with the meeting of state legislative party meeting early next week
BJP has been holding back-to-back meetings since Saturday over the government formation in Uttarakhand and Goa.
Uttarakhand's acting CM Pushkar Dhami and state BJP head Madan Kaushik met Amit Shah on Sunday.
Ahead of the meeting, Dhami was quoted as saying "The procedure for government formation is underway...the BJP central leadership will take a decision ."