The Bharatiya Janata Party, which returned to power in Manipur by winning 32 seats in the 60-member House in the recent Assembly elections in the state is yet to pick a chief ministerial face.
On Sunday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju arrived in Imphal to attend a meeting with newly elected BJP MLAs in the state, party sources said.
Sitharaman has been appointed as the central observer and Rijiju as co-observer for the election of the BJP legislature party leader. Sitharaman is also scheduled to meet BJP workers in Manipur, a state party leader said.
The two central ministers were accompanied by caretaker chief minister N Biren Singh and legislators Th Bishwajit and Y Khemchand, who had gone to New Delhi on Saturday.
Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Manipur's titular king and BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba and party national spokesperson Sambit Patra also arrived with them.
So what is happening?
Both N Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh were so far being seen as the frontrunners for the post of chief minister.
Biren Singh had said that he has never contested elections "for CM or any other post" but as a worker of BJP.
"I never contested elections for CM or any other post but as a worker of my party. The decision (on CM's face) will be taken by higher authorities… Chief minister or no chief minister, I am somebody who has worked in the interest of the party and will continue to do so," Biren Singh told ANI.
Meanwhile, Biswajit Singh has also refused to comment on speculations doing rounds about him in the race for the next chief minister of the state.
Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Biswajit Singh said, "I don't want to comment on that (on reports that he is in the race to become the next chief minister of Manipur). We don't have any group, among ourselves, that is for sure. The BJP is a democratic party, and leadership will decide this (the CM issue)."
Twist in the tale
According to NDTV, a third contender backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the chief minister's post has emerged in Manipur. The RSS-backed leader, Speaker in the previous assembly Yumnam Khemchand Singh, was called to Delhi by the BJP leadership on Saturday, along with caretaker Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh.
Yumnam Khemchand Singh would be an option for the BJP to avoid infighting between Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh, sources have said.
Slights from Opposition
Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that the BJP despite winning four states in the recently concluded Assembly elections is not able to form the governments due to infighting within the party.
With input from agencies
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March 20, 2022 at 02:57PM
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