Manipur Cabinet decides to hold Panchayat elections following High Court order
Imphal: The State Cabinet has decided to hold Panchayat elections at the earliest, in compliance with an order passed by the High Court of Manipur during the President's Rule (PR) administration, which directed that elections be held within six months.
The cabinet meeting, the second since Y. Khemchand became the 13th Chief Minister of the state, was held at the Chief Minister's Secretariat on Friday afternoon.
The Chief Minister, Y. Khemchand, presided over the meeting, which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Cabinet Ministers Govindas Konthoujam and Khuraijam Loken, and Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel. Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki leader, also participated virtually.
The High Court of Manipur, on August 29, 2025, had directed the PR-ruled Manipur government to conduct Panchayat elections within six months. The order was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice Guneshwar Sharma during a hearing on the long-pending local body polls. Panchayat elections in the state were last held in 2017.
The 6th general election to Panchayats in Manipur was scheduled for June 2023 but was cancelled due to the law and order situation in this sensitive border state.
The state cabinet reportedly addressed the issue following questions from Congress leader and Lok Sabha Member from Manipur, Bimol Akoijam, who inquired about the reasons for the delay in holding Panchayat elections.
He also asked whether any steps were being taken by the government to ensure elections are conducted promptly to uphold the constitutional mandate of local governance. Additionally, he questioned if the government had any plans to address challenges hindering the timely conduct of the elections.
Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, S. P. Singh Baghel, in response to Bimol Akoijam’s query, informed the Lok Sabha that Panchayat elections in Manipur are often delayed due to administrative issues, court cases, litigation, delimitation of Panchayats, and reservation of seats, which fall within the purview of the state government.