 "Eastern Front: BJP charges to victory in Manipur, vows 'coalition dharma'; all eyes on old partners NPP, NPF")
The BJP has returned to power in Manipur for a second consecutive term. Led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the saffron party was able to secure a majority on its own. The BJP won 32 of the total 60 seats while its estranged allies the Naga People’s Party (NPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) won seven and five seats respectively. Its main rival Congress bagged five seats. The majority mark in Manipur Assembly is 31. Thanking the people of the state for reposing their faith in the party, Singh said it is also the victory of the various steps taken under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.
‘Will follow coalition dharma’ Notably, BJP which is currently in power in Manipur in alliance with the NPP and NPF, contested all the 60 seats alone in this election. Singh who won the elections from the Heingang constituency said that the BJP will “join hands with like-minded parties” but ruled out an alliance with the NPP. According to the website EastMojo, Singh said that “the BJP government in the state will press the Centre to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from insurgency-hit Manipur.” No clarity on CM face Notably, while journalist-turned-politician Singh led BJP to victory, there is no confirmation that he will retain his post as the CM. Earlier, the party had said that it will make a decision on the CM face after the results are declared. In 2020, differences in the Manipur ruling alliance were out in the open when four NPP ministers resigned from the government citing dissatisfaction with the Singh’s governance style, according to a report in The Print. The crisis was resolved after intervention by senior BJP leaders including Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Meanwhile, the Congress which emerged as the single-largest party in Manipur in 2017, was almost routed this time around. However, its main leader and former CM Okram Ibobi Singh won from Thoubal by a margin of 2,543 votes. In the last Assembly election, although the BJP had won only 21 seats , it managed to lure MLAs from Congress which won 28 seats and Biren Singh was sworn in as the first-ever BJP chief minister in Manipur on 15 March, 2017. Click here for latest updates on Assembly Elections 2022 With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .