Manipur: Meitei & Kuki-Zo BJP MLAs sit together in Delhi after two years of conflict

Guwahati: In a significant development toward restoring government in conflict-affected Manipur, four of the seven BJP MLAs representing Kuki-Zo communities attended the party’s legislature meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, marking their first participation since the Meitei-Kuki clashes erupted in May 2023.

Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February, following a prolonged political deadlock. The meeting was convened after repeated appeals from BJP legislators representing the Meitei community in the valley, urging the restoration of a popularly elected government.

The BJP holds 37 seats in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, but seven of its MLAs from Kuki-Zo constituencies had previously stayed away from Imphal and their valley-based colleagues.

On Sunday, four Kuki MLAs joined the Meitei legislators in the session, and the group posed together for photographs after the meeting at the BJP’s national headquarters.

The legislature party meeting was chaired by BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh and Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra.

Both leaders recently visited Manipur to facilitate dialogue between the Kuki and Meitei factions and ease tensions ahead of government formation.

According to BJP sources in Manipur, Santosh and Patra first met with Meitei BJP MLAs and five members of the ally Naga People’s Front (NPF), along with former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, to discuss the political roadmap.

Later, they convened a separate session with the four Kuki MLAs to address concerns and explore measures to restore peace in the state, which has witnessed over 260 deaths and displaced more than 60,000 people since May 2023.

The Kuki MLAs present at the meeting included Nemcha Kipgen, Lelzamang Haokip, L.M. Khoute, and Ngursanglur Hmar. The three absent MLAs, Vungzagin Valte, Paonilal Haokip, and Letpao Haokip, missed the meeting due to personal and health reasons.

Valte is recovering from injuries sustained in a May 2023 attack, Paonilal returned home following a relative’s death, and Letpao is undergoing surgery.

Sources said the party urged all MLAs to work collaboratively toward restoring peace in Manipur.

While it remains uncertain whether the Kuki MLAs will formally stake a claim to form the government, the BJP seeks their participation to strengthen stability.

Kuki-Zo organisations continue to demand a separate administrative setup as a Union Territory for Kuki-Zo-dominated regions. The ten Kuki-Zo MLAs, including seven from the BJP, have expressed support for this demand.

The Meitei BJP MLAs, with backing from the NPF and independent lawmakers, could potentially form the government independently, but party leaders are pushing for reintegration of the Kuki legislators to ensure broader political consensus. The choice of the next Chief Minister, however, remains undecided.