Modi-Biren meet triggers speculations about next Manipur CM

State BJP says the CM may be named after Central observers meet MLAs by March 20

Caretaker Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has triggered speculations about who will be in charge in Manipur.

A contender for the post is senior Minister Thongam Biswajit, who, a section in the Bharatiya Janata Party feels, had missed out in 2017 despite playing a major role in building the party from scratch. This was acknowledged by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ahead of the two-phase polls in Manipur.

“Met Shri @NBirenSingh Ji and congratulated him on @BJP4Manipur’s stupendous victory in the recently concluded Assembly Polls. Our Party is committed to working even harder to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Manipur,” Mr. Modi tweeted on Wednesday.

Mr. Singh called on the Prime Minister a day after he, Mr. Biswajit and State BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda took a chartered flight to New Delhi after being summoned by the party’s central leadership ahead of the selection of the next Chief Minister.

A leader close to the BJP’s decision-making body said the party was caught in a dilemma. “We can neither ignore the fact that the BJP won the Manipur elections with a majority under Mr. Singh nor the contribution of Mr. Biswajit to strengthening the party in the State,” he said.

“It is for Modiji, [Home Minister] Amit Shahji and [BJP national president J.P.] Naddaji to decide who will become the next Chief Minister,” he added.

A State BJP leader said the name of the chief ministerial candidate would be announced after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju — the party’s Central observers for the government formation — meet with the newly-elected MLAs in State capital Imphal by March 20.