Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yumnam Khemchand is set to take over as the new Chief Minister of Manipur after being elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Tuesday.

The decision was taken during a meeting of BJP legislators held at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. With this development, the party has moved a step closer to forming a new government in the state after nearly a year of President’s Rule.

This leadership change comes almost a year after the resignation of former chief minister N Biren Singh, who stepped down from the post on February 9 amid continuing violence and ethnic unrest in Manipur. The state has been facing prolonged tension and disturbances for almost three years, mainly due to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

Following the unrest, President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, initially for a period of six months. This came after prolonged ethnic violence in the state. Later, President’s Rule was extended for another six months in August 2025, as the situation remained unstable.

After N Biren Singh resigned on February 9, the BJP-led government in the state came to an end. Soon after that, the 60-member Manipur Assembly was placed under suspended animation, even though its term is scheduled to continue until 2027.

At present, the BJP holds a strong position in the Manipur Assembly with 37 MLAs. The party’s numbers increased due to defections from the Janata Dal (United) after the 2022 elections, which further strengthened its legislative strength.

Sources have said that the Centre is closely monitoring the situation, as the continuation of President’s Rule cannot be indefinite without following constitutional procedures. According to sources, if a new government is not formed soon, the Centre will need parliamentary approval to extend President’s Rule again. This extension would have to be approved during the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

The political developments indicate that the BJP is now preparing to end the period of President’s Rule by forming a government in the state. With Yumnam Khemchand being chosen as the leader of the BJP legislative party, the path has been cleared for him to take over the top post in Manipur.

The decision was finalised in Delhi during the party meeting, where BJP legislators gathered and selected Khemchand as their leader. His selection marks an important shift in the state’s political leadership after a year of direct central rule.

Manipur has remained under President’s Rule since February 2025 due to the ongoing ethnic unrest. The situation led to the resignation of the earlier chief minister and resulted in the assembly being kept under suspended animation.

Now, with the BJP having the required numbers in the assembly, and with the selection of a new leader, the party appears ready to form a government and restore elected rule in the state.

If the process is delayed, the Centre may be forced to seek approval from Parliament once again to continue President’s Rule, as per the constitutional requirement.