No decision yet on Manipur CM 

Back in Imphal, contenders Biren Singh and Thongam Biswajit advise against speculative reports

Caretaker Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and senior Minister in the last Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government, Thongam Biswajit, on Thursday clarified that the leadership issue in Manipur has not been resolved.

Both appealed to the media not to publish or broadcast “speculative reports” after returning to State capital Imphal from New Delhi. The two leaders had flown to the national capital in a chartered aircraft on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J. P. Nadda.

While Mr. Biswajit reached Imphal in the morning, Mr. Singh returned in the afternoon with State BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda.

“The national leaders of the BJP have not taken me into confidence about this matter [naming the next Chief Minister]. We went to Delhi to discuss various issues related to the Assembly elections,” Mr. Singh said, adding that the party’s parliamentary board could discuss the leadership and other issues.

“We are not aware of anything since we are not members. As a disciplined and well-organised political party, the selection of the new leader will be done possibly after Holi according to the rules of the party,” he said.

Holi in Manipur, called Yaoshang, is celebrated for five days.

Mr. Biswajit said they had gone to Delhi primarily to celebrate the victory of the BJP with a clear majority of 32 seats in the 60-member House. “No national BJP leader discussed the leadership matter either with me or the caretaker CM or our State president,” he told journalists.