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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned today - two years after ethnic violence broke out in the state -- to quell dissidence in the state BJP against his leadership as his government faces the possibility of a Congress no-confidence motion and floor test. The Chief Minister handed his resignation to the Governor this evening.
While the BJP has the numbers despite the withdrawal of support by Conrad Sangma's National Peoples' Party, there was a possibility that the MLAs who sought a change in leadership, would have disregarded a party whip in case of a floor test.
To avert that possibility, the Chief Minister stepped down after conferring with the Central leadership.
Mr Singh had gone to Delhi this morning where he met party chief JP Nadda and its chief strategist, Union minister Amit Shah.
Citing the ethnic violence that broke out in May 2023, a round 12 MLAs have been strongly pushing for a change in leadership, and there are around six fence sitters, party sources said. The sources also added that the Speaker and the chief minister have had "differences".
Some of the rebels have even met Amit Shah with their demands.
With the Congress threat of a no-confidence motion in the assembly session that begins tomorrow, sources said there was a possibility that they would have skipped a floor test.
Sources also said the BJP, given its string of successes in the Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi assembly elections, did not want a crisis that could overshadow the positive political narrative.
The clamour against Biren Singh grew after a person from the Kuki community went to the Supreme Court alleging the Chief Minister had instigated the violence in the state. His complaint was based on leaked audio tapes purportedly of the Chief Minister.
Non-profit private forensic laboratory Truth Labs has confirmed that 93 per cent of the audio tapes matched Mr Singh's voice.
The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory on the leaked audio tapes.