Imphal: Nearly two years after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned from his post on Sunday. Singh submitted his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan in Imphal following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda.

The Governor accepted Singh's resignation, along with that of his council of ministers, and requested him to continue in office until alternative arrangements are made.

Singh’s resignation comes amid growing political pressure and an impending no-confidence motion from the opposition, which was set to be tabled in the now-canceled Manipur Assembly session scheduled for Monday. The Congress reacted sharply, calling Singh’s exit "too little, too late" and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the crisis in Manipur.

Adding to the political tension, the Supreme Court recently sought a forensic report on leaked audio clips allegedly implicating Singh in the ethnic violence that began in May 2023.

Who Will Be the Next Manipur CM?

With Singh stepping down, the BJP is now considering several names for his successor. The frontrunners include:
Thongam Biswajit Singh – Manipur’s Minister for Environment, Forest, Power, and Agriculture, who has been in the BJP since 2015 after resigning from Trinamool Congress.
Yumnam Khemchand Singh – Former Speaker of the Manipur Assembly (2017-2022) and current Minister for Housing and Education.
Thokchom Satyabrata Singh – BJP MLA from Yaiskul and the current Speaker of the Manipur Assembly.
Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh – Four-time MLA and current Education Minister of Manipur.
Govindas Konthoujam Singh – Seven-time MLA from Bishnupur and Minister for PWD and Youth Affairs & Sports.