N Biren Singh to take oath as CM of Manipur today

The first BJP-led government in Manipur will be sworn-in today when N Biren Singh is administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Najma Heptulla.

Raj Bhavan sources said the swearing-in would take place at one PM. N. Biren Singh was unanimously elected the leader of the 21-member BJP legislature party on Monday.

The Governor yesterday invited Singh to form the government after four members of the Naga People's Front NPF, an NDA ally, met her and declared their support to BJP for government formation.The party has enlisted the support of regional parties National People's Party, NPP and NPF, each with four seats, and one legislator each of Lok Janshakti Party, Trinamool Congress and Congress. NPP, NPF and LJP are BJP allies at the Centre.

31 MLAs are needed to form a government in the 60



member-Assembly and both BJP and Congress have staked claim to form the government.

Congress, which has 28 MLAs, led the tally. Okram Ibobi Singh, its Chief Minister for three consecutive terms, had resigned and staked claim to form the government. 

A national level footballer turned journalist Nongthombam Biren Singh joined politics in 2002. He was elected to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party which later merged with the Congress.

In 2003, he was appointed as Minister in the State Government and retained his Assembly seat in both 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections. His relationship with the then Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh fell apart after he was excluded from the Cabinet in 2012. In October 2016 Mr. Singh left Congress and joined BJP.