NEW DELHI: Continuing violence and internal divisions have cast a shadow over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) preparations for the upcoming Manipur elections and its bid to retain power in the state for a third term, party leaders aware of the matter said.
Manipur is slated to go to polls early next year, alongside Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand. State BJP leaders said they were banking on the Union government to restore peace in the strife-torn state and bridge the divide between warring communities before the polling cycle kicked in.
“Both the union and the state government have been making efforts to end the violence that has left many dead and displaced. But there is a need to take more steps both politically and administratively to end this cycle of violence that has gone on since 2023…” said a party leader on condition of anonymity.
Manipur has been reeling under violence since May 2023, when ethnic clashes first broke out between the dominant Meitei and tribal Kuki communities. Since then, almost every community has been engulfed by the spiralling violence that has led to a complete breakdown of law and order, the creation of ethnic enclaves, nearly 360 deaths, displacement of 66,000 people, and a virtual bifurcation of the state.
With the security situation still precarious, the BJP is yet to finalise its election strategy and campaign plans, leaving the cadre uncertain, people aware of the matter sad. “We are still waiting for the high command to work out the election plan. Last month, the party appointed [Assam legislator] Rajdeep Roy as the state in-charge, but we are still not in a position to hit the ground running,” the leader said.
The BJP, which won just 21 of the 60 seats in the 2017 polls, formed the government with the support of four National People’s Party (NPP) MLAs, four Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLAs, one Lok Janshakti Party MLA and an independent legislator, even as the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats. In 2022, the BJP returned to power with 32 legislators, while the Congress’s tally shrank to five.
N Biren Singh had become chief minister after both election victories. However, he resigned on February 9, 2025 amid mounting internal discord and the threat of a no-confidence motion as violence continued unabated in the state. A week later, President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur.
On February 4, 2026, former Manipur assembly speaker and BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei, took oath as the chief minister. Along with Singh, two deputy chief ministers representing the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities — Losii Dikho and Nemcha Kipgen — also took oath in a low-key ceremony at the Lok Bhavan in Imphal.
However, the new government setup has also come under strain. Ties between Dikho and Kipgen have deteriorated amid clashes between members of the Naga and Kuki communities. On September 1, Dikho and eight other Naga lawmakers wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking action against Kipgen and her husband, alleging that they were colluding with Kuki militants. Kipgen has rejected the charges.
“The state unit has been divided. On several occasions, the high command has to step in… even now, when there is a new chief minister [Yumnam Khemchand Singh] at the helm, there are camps and groups that sometimes seem to work at cross purposes,” the leader quoted earlier in the story said.
According to the leader, the Centre will need to announce specific rehabilitation and relief measures as a first step towards addressing the grievances of affected communities. “Ethnic violence and suspicion between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo and Naga groups has made the situation very challenging. These fractures will need to be handled carefully as the Opposition will use these to their advantage,” he said.
The prolonged unrest has also given Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, an opportunity to challenge the BJP’s claims of efficient “double-engine” governance.
The Congress has been seeking the dissolution of the assembly and fresh elections. Last week, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posed three questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, asking how many more innocent lives must be lost before they act.
“...Since May 2023, over 300 precious lives have been lost, while 24,530 are forced to be in relief camps in pathetic conditions. Women, children and vulnerable families continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged tragedy. The BJP’s political machinations, from imposing President’s Rule to replacing the Chief Minister and reinstalling its own government, have yielded no peace. PM Modi, who did not even set foot in Manipur for nearly 29 months after violence erupted, has abysmally failed on his so-called assurance in Parliament,” Kharge said in a post on X.