Yumnam Khemchand Singh Takes Oath As Manipur Chief Minister After President’s Rule Ends
BJP Manipur Legislature Party leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh took oath as the Chief Minister of Manipur on Wednesday, as the President’s Rule ended after nearly a year in the ethnic strife-torn state.
Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla administered the oath to Khemchand at the Lok Bhavan in Imphal. The ceremony was attended by several BJP legislators, senior party functionaries, and top leaders of the NDA in Manipur.
“Manipur will play an important role in the Viksit Bharat 2047. Manipur consists of 36 communities, and we hope to bring a peaceful atmosphere in the state,” he said after his oath-taking ceremony.
On February 3, more than 45 MLAs of the Manipur legislative assembly reached a consensus on Khemchand as the next chief minister, representing the Meitei community. As part of the power-sharing deal, Nemcha Kipgen from the Kuki community has been named deputy chief minister, the first woman deputy CM of Manipur, along with Losii Dikho, while Govindas Konthoujam will take charge as home minister.
Taking to X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Congratulations to Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Manipur. I would like to congratulate Smt. Nemcha Kipgen Ji and Shri Losii Dikho Ji on taking oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of the state and Shri Konthoujam Govindas Singh Ji as well as Shri Khuraijam Loken Singh Ji on being sworn in as Ministers in the Manipur Government.”
“I’m confident they will work diligently towards furthering development and prosperity for my sisters and brothers of Manipur.”
The oath-taking ceremony came after the President’s Rule was lifted in Manipur after nearly a year due to ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki groups. The President’s rule was first imposed on February 13, 2025 and later extended on August 13 for a period of six months.
Who Is Yumnam Khemchand Singh?
Yumnam Khemchand Singh, 62, is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician from Manipur. He was elected to the Manipur legislative assembly from the Singjamei constituency in both the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. He served as the Speaker of the assembly from 2017 to 2022.
A taekwondo black belt, Khemchand started his political career alongside former Manipur CM N Biren Singh, who resigned last year after he was unable to maintain law and order and prevent ethnic conflict, as part of the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party. He joined the BJP in 2013 and entered the Assembly in 2017.
He was appointed as the Speaker of the Manipur Assembly in the first Biren Singh government. In 2022, he was inducted as a cabinet minister in the second Biren Singh ministry, holding key portfolios, including the Municipal Administration and Housing Development (MAHUD) Department, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, and the Education Department.
As ethnic clashes grew in Manipur, anger rose over the government’s inability to address the issue and bring the situation under control, which resulted in a grenade attack on Khemchand’s house in 2023. Despite being a cabinet minister, Khemchand became an outspoken critic of the Biren Singh government and pressured the party to seek his replacement.
Biren Singh’s Resignation
Biren Singh resigned on February 9, 2025, amid growing dissent within the BJP-led government and the Congress’s plans to move a no-confidence motion in the Assembly. Khemchand had earlier told News18 that Biren Singh had failed to maintain law and order in Manipur for over 18 months.
Biren Singh continued as caretaker Chief Minister till President’s rule was imposed. The central government engaged ethnic bodies in talks to defuse the Manipur crisis, and PM Modi’s visit to the state in September 2025 was seen as a big step to restore normalcy.
Khemchand was named as the Chief Minister of the politically sensitive state as leaders from both the Meitei and Kuki communities came together to form the government, marking a significant political coordination. The move is believed to have provided a major boost to Manipur by signalling a return to normalcy, especially with elections due next year.
