N. Biren Singh to continue as Manipur Chief Minister

Leading the BJP to a clear majority worked in his favour as party ended more than a week of suspense.

Nongthombam Biren Singh will continue as the Chief Minister of Manipur for the second straight term.

A team of the Bharatiya Janata Party's central observers made this announcement in Imphal on Sunday, ending more than a week of suspense on who would take charge.

"The new-elected MLAs have unanimously elected Shri Biren Singh as their legislature party leader," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said after a closed-door meeting with the BJP legislators at the State party headquarters.

She hoped the decision would go a long way in ensuring political stability and good governance in Manipur.

She had reached Imphal from New Delhi in the morning with fellow Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Kiren Rijiju for ending the impasse. Mr Singh and senior BJP leader Thongam Biswajit had accompanied the trio along with former State Assembly Speaker Yumnam Khemchand.

Leading the BJP to clear majority is believed to have tilted the scale in Mr Singh's favour. He and Mr Biswajit were the frontrunners for the post. Their names were doing the rounds for the past one week before Mr Khemchand's name cropped up at the last moment to add to the suspense.

The two top contenders for the CM's post had visited Delhi twice on being summoned by the party’s central leadership and held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and party stalwart BL Santhosh.