Manipur: Sambit Patra to visit Imphal amid govt formation push

Guwahati: BJP’s Northeast in-charge and Member of Parliament Sambit Patra will visit Imphal on May 5, 2025, for a high-stakes meeting with BJP legislators from Manipur amid a government formation push in the state, sources confirmed on Sunday.

According to the sources, Patra's visit follows a formal appeal by 21 BJP MLAs urging the party’s central leadership in New Delhi to consider replacing the current interim setup.

Sources indicate that Patra will meet with BJP MLAs to discuss the potential installation of a new Chief Minister and the formation of a fresh government.

Notably, the political situation in Manipur has remained tense since the imposition of President’s Rule on February 13, 2025.

This followed the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9, amid growing unrest and governance challenges.

Despite having the numbers, BJP has not been able to form a government, a delay attributed to the central leadership’s cautious stance due to the ongoing ethnic tensions that erupted on May 3, 2023.

The prolonged instability has left Manipur’s constitutional machinery in disarray, with little administrative progress visible on the ground.

Sources added that several BJP MLAs, previously stationed in Delhi, have reportedly returned to Imphal ahead of Patra’s arrival.