Imphal, February 4, 2026: BJP leader Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the chief minister of Manipur on Wednesday, hours after President’s Rule in the state was lifted. Governor Ajay Bhalla administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 62-year-old legislator at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan.
BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen, a leader from the Kuki community, and Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislator L Dikho were sworn in as deputy chief ministers. Kipgen took the oath virtually from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi. BJP’s Govindas Konthoujam and NPP leader K Loken Singh were also inducted into the council of ministers.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by BJP legislators, senior party officials and leaders of the NDA in the state. Manipur had been under President’s Rule since February last year amid prolonged unrest.
The northeastern state has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, when clashes erupted following a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The violence has claimed at least 260 lives, including those of civilians from both the Kuki and Meitei communities as well as security personnel, and has displaced thousands.
On Tuesday, the BJP legislature party elected Y Khemchand Singh as its leader at a meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by 35 of the party’s 37 MLAs, along with BJP central observer Tarun Chugh, party’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and Manipur BJP president A Sharda Devi.
Singh’s appointment marks the return of an elected government in Manipur after months of central rule, as the state continues efforts to restore stability and normalcy.
