Imphal, Feb 9: The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to elect a new president for its Manipur Pradesh unit in the near future, following the formation of a popular government under Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and the recent appointment of Nitin Nabin as the BJP’s national president.
According to party sources, the process of changing the state unit leadership had remained on hold due to the prolonged ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. Central leaders of the BJP were reportedly reluctant to initiate organisational changes until a degree of stability returned and an elected government was firmly in place.
With the new government now functioning, deliberations on replacing the incumbent state BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda have reportedly gathered pace. Sharda has held the post since June 26, 2021. While there has been no formal communication from the party so far, insiders suggest that the central leadership is keen to appoint a leader capable of strengthening the organisation and preparing it for the 2027 Manipur Assembly elections.
Speculation within party circles has intensified, with several names doing the rounds. Among senior organisational leaders, BJP general secretary L Deven Singh and former general secretary Samurailatpam Premananda Sharma are being discussed, given their long association with the party. From among elected representatives, MLAs Sapam Ranjan Singh and Th Basantakumar are also being viewed as potential contenders.
Highly placed sources further indicated that cabinet expansion has emerged as a complex task despite the formation of the government. However, discussions are underway, and central leaders are expected to oversee the process of portfolio allocation, with an expansion likely between February 12 and 15.
Meanwhile, sources said informal lobbying for the state president’s post has already begun, with several leaders reaching out to the party’s central leadership. The political churn in Manipur has also been sharpened by the Congress, which recently appointed former chief minister and current CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh as president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.
Although BJP state unit presidents are generally chosen before the election of a new national president, Manipur remained an exception due to the extended crisis. With the situation showing signs of stabilisation, the party is now expected to move ahead with restructuring its state leadership.
