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Yumnam Khemchand Singh Set to Become Manipur’s 13th Chief Minister

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Imphal
  • Feb 03, 2026
  • 744

BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh is set to become the 13th Chief Minister of Manipur after being unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party at a meeting held on Tuesday. He is expected to formally stake his claim to form the government before the Governor later in the day. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on Wednesday, party sources said.
The Legislature Party meeting was attended by BJP central observer Tarun Chugh, party national spokesperson Sambit Patra, and former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. The leadership selection followed intensive consultations, including the arrival of around 20 NDA MLAs in New Delhi on Sunday night, with the remaining legislators reaching the capital on Monday as directed by the central leadership.
According to BJP sources, the party is considering appointing one of the 10 Kuki MLAs as Deputy Chief Minister in an effort to politically accommodate the Kuki community amid prolonged ethnic tensions in the state.
End of President’s Rule Imminent
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, imposed four days after N. Biren Singh resigned on February 9, 2025, following the BJP government’s inability to control escalating ethnic violence. The President’s Rule is scheduled to end on February 12, 2026, prompting the BJP to expedite the formation of a new government.
The term of the current Manipur Legislative Assembly extends until 2027, making the restoration of an elected government politically crucial for the ruling party.
BJP’s Strength in the Assembly
The BJP currently holds 37 seats in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. The party won 32 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections, with five JD(U) MLAs later merging with the BJP. The remaining composition includes five NPF MLAs, five Congress MLAs, two KPA MLAs, one JD(U) MLA, and three Independents. One seat remains vacant following the death of an MLA.
Martial Arts Distinction
Apart from his political career, Yumnam Khemchand Singh has earned international recognition in martial arts. He is the first Indian to receive a 5th Dan Black Belt in Traditional Taekwondo, an honour conferred on December 30, 2025, at the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation (GTTF) headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. In Taekwondo and other martial arts disciplines, Dan denotes advanced black belt ranks achieved after attaining the initial black belt.
Background of the Meitei–Kuki Conflict
Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted in May 2023, resulting in nearly 260 deaths and the displacement of thousands of people. The unrest has continued intermittently for nearly two years, severely destabilising the state.
Key Reasons Behind the Conflict:
1. Demand for ST Status for Meiteis:
On April 14, 2023, the Manipur High Court directed the state government to submit its recommendation on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. The Kukis, who are already classified as STs, strongly opposed the move, fearing it would allow Meiteis to purchase land in the hill areas, threatening tribal land rights and demographic balance. While the Meitei population is concentrated in the Imphal Valley (about 10% of Manipur’s land area), the remaining 90% hilly terrain is tribal land, legally protected from non-tribal ownership.
2. Demand for Separate Kuki Administration:
The Kuki community has been demanding a separate administrative arrangement under the proposed names “Kukiland” or “Jumalland.” The state government and the Meitei community view this demand as a challenge to Manipur’s territorial integrity.
3. Allegations of Drug Trafficking:
The Kukis have been accused by the government of involvement in drug trafficking from Myanmar and illegal opium cultivation. The community rejects these allegations, calling them defamatory and politically motivated. Kukis also accuse the former BJP-led government of bias toward the Meitei community, and allege that security forces and police acted in a partisan manner during the violence.