Centre extends president's rule in manipur till february

Centre extends president's rule in manipur till february

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday issued a notification to extend President’s Rule in Manipur for an additional six months starting August 13, 2025.

‘Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation has given a notice of the following Resolution which has been admitted:- 'That this House approves the continuance in force of the Proclamation dated the 13th February, 2025 in respect of Manipur, issued under article 356 of the Constitution by the President, for a further period of six months with effect from 13th August, 2025',’ read a statement from the Rajya Sabha.

The move comes at a time when political pressure is mounting from within the NDA’s own ranks to restore democratic governance in the conflict-hit state.

President’s Rule was initially imposed on February 13, 2025, shortly after former Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post. His departure was largely driven by political turmoil within the ruling BJP, as several Meitei legislators revolted against his leadership.

In the absence of any contender staking a claim to form the government, the Centre invoked Article 356.

Despite the state assembly remaining in suspended animation—its tenure lasting until 2027—no attempt has since been made to reconstitute an elected government.

Pushback from NDA’s Own MLAs

Since April, Meitei and Naga legislators of the BJP-led NDA, including both supporters and critics of Biren Singh, have been lobbying for the return of a ‘popular government.’

They argue that President’s Rule has failed to restore normalcy or address the deeper political and ethnic grievances in the state. The move to extend Central rule is expected to further strain saffron party ties between the Centre and its alliance MLAs in Manipur.

Meanwhile, Manipur continues to grapple with the aftermath of the violent ethnic conflict that erupted on May 3, 2023, between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Over 250 people have been killed, and more than 60,000 displaced. Though violence has subsided in recent months—particularly in the foothill areas that once saw some of the fiercest clashes—key issues remain unresolved.

Security Operations ongoing

On Thursday, security forces arrested eight militants from multiple proscribed outfits in operations across Imphal West, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, and Chandel districts. Officials said that area domination exercises and coordinated search operations have been ongoing since the violence first broke out in 2023.

Observers note that tensions had been brewing long before the conflict erupted.

In 2022 and 2023, then-Chief Minister Biren Singh had launched large-scale eviction drives to clear alleged encroachments on reserve forest lands across both hill and valley districts. These actions sparked sharp resistance, particularly among Kuki and Zo groups, and are now widely viewed as one of the catalysts of the wider conflict.