N Biren Singh will be sworn in as Manipur Chief Minister for the second time in the 12th state Legislative Assembly on Monday. Biren will take oath along with five others at 3 pm Monday at the Raj Bhawan, Imphal, sources said.
While it remains unclear who are the five legislators, speculations are rife that outgoing speaker Y Khemchand, Th Biswajit, Nemcha Kipgen. Awangbou Newmai and Govindas Konthoujam would also be sworn in.
BJP national president JP Nadda is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, the sources said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the re-election of N Biren Singh as state BJP Legislative Party leader and chief minister of the new BJP government to be formed in the state. Several top BJP leaders, including Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra and state BJP president A Sharda Devi, were present during the announcement at BJP office, Thambal Shanglen, Nityaipat Chuthek in Imphal.
A governemnt release stated that as per the resolution adopted by the BJP Manipur Legislative Party N Biren Singh has been re-elected unanimously as the leader of Manipur BJP Legislative Party.
Biren held the chief minister post in the last five-year of the first BJP-led government in Manipur by overthrowing the Congress rule led by former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh that lasted for 15 years in the state.
After N Biren Singh was elected leader of Manipur BJP Legislative Party, Central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju met the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Imphal and handed over the proposal letter for the new government formation, stated a release.
"As per the resolution adopted by the BJP Manipur Legislative Party, Shri N. Biren Singh has been elected unanimously as the Leader of Manipur BJP Legislative Party. Union Ministers Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman along with Shri Kiran Rijiju met me at Raj Bhavan & handed over the letter," the governor said in a Twitter post.
The governor accepted and congratulated the BJP on winning the 12th Manipur Assembly election 2022 by with majority 32 members "which is quite sufficient" to form the government, the release added.
Following it, the governor invited N Biren Singh, who was elected unanimously as leader of Manipur BJP Legislative Party on Sunday, to indicate the date and time of forming his new ministry.
BJP created history with a massive win in the recently held general elections to the 12th state Legislative Assembly, by securing 32 of the 60 assembly seats.
Biren Singh retained the MLA seat of Heingang assembly constituency for the record fifth time, defeating his rival INC candidate P Sharatchandra by 18,271 votes. Of the 31,596 total votes recieved in the constituency, Biren bagged 24,814 votes (78.54 per cent), while Sharatchandra received 6,543 votes (20.71 per cent).
Biren has been winning the Heingang Assembly seat since 2002. A former footballer and journalist, Nongthombam Biren Singh entered politics in 2002 and joined the Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party and won the assembly elections from Heingang Assembly Constituency. He retained the seat in 2007, contesting on the Indian National Congress ticket after joining the party in 2003. He continued to serve the state in the capacity of a Cabinet Minister till February 2012.
Biren, however quit the Congress party in 2016, and joined the BJP on October 17, 2016 and later became the spokesperson and co-convener of the Election Management Committee of BJP Manipur Pradesh. In 2017, he retained his seat from Heingang Assembly Constituency for the record fourth time on BJP ticket and became the 12th Chief Minister of Manipur. He won the floor test in the floor of the Assembly with the support of 33 MLAs of BJP and its allies.
Before he joined politics in 2002, as a footballer, he got recruited in the Border Security Force (BSF) playing for its team in domestic competitions. He resigned from the BSF and turned to journalism. He launched the vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang in 1992 and worked as the editor till 2001.
