Yumnam Khemchand Singh | Crisis-time CM

On February 4, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, 62, who studied up to Class X and is a martial arts expert, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Manipur, a State reeling from an ethnic crisis between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo people since May 3, 2023.

Mr. Singh, a two-time MLA from the Singjamei constituency and a former Speaker of the Assembly, was chosen to lead the State by the central BJP leadership, days ahead of the one-year tenure of the President’s Rule, which was to come to an end on February 13.

Any extension of the President’s Rule beyond this would have required the Union government to move a constitutional amendment Bill in Parliament, not preferable to the central leadership as it would have left the floor open for the Opposition to criticise the government.

Said to have the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mr. Singh’s perceived inclination to be on the same page as the Centre helped his case. Though the Home Portfolio is with Cabinet Minister Govindas Konthoujam, by choosing Mr. Singh, the BJP also wants to ensure that the gains made on the law and order front in the past one year — no major violent incidents, arrest of hundreds of extortionists and underground cadres — are not reversed.

Before winning the Singjamei seat on a BJP ticket in 2017, Mr. Singh taught taekwondo, a Korean martial art, to children. But this was not his first attempt at electoral politics. In 2012, he contested the Assembly elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket and lost by a margin of 157 votes to the Congress candidate Hemochandra Singh.

Clean image

His clean image when it came to matters of law was also a factor. The affidavit that he filed during the 2022 Assembly elections from Singjamei shows that he has no past or pending criminal case against him.

Editorial | Joining hands: On Manipur and Y. Khemchand Singh as new Chief Minister

That the Centre, through Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, will continue to keep an upper hand on critical governance and law and order issues is not lost on all. It was reflected in the way Mr. Singh was selected. All the BJP legislators, including Mr. Singh, were called to Delhi, where the decision was sealed and announced to the waiting MLAs. Interestingly, former CM N. Biren Singh, whose resignation on February 9 triggered a political crisis in the State, leading to the imposition of President’s Rule, was the one who proposed his name for the Chief Minister’s post.

In fact, the new Chief Minister has been a vocal critic of Biren Singh and in one of the meetings at the latter’s house in 2024, he had urged him to step down. On February 3, 2025, days before President’s Rule was imposed, he came to Delhi and told the BJP leadership that the government would collapse if Biren Singh was not removed.

Popular in his constituency, Mr. Singh also became the first Meitei MLA to reach out to the Kuki-Zo community, since violence erupted in the State in 2023. On December 8, in an unprecedented turn of events, Mr. Singh visited two Kuki-Zo villages and a relief camp to extend solidarity with the displaced people and those affected by violence. The choice of villages was also symbolic — both villages are located in Naga dominated districts of Kamjong and Ukhrul. Though his visit was criticised by the Kuki-Zo civil society groups, Mr. Singh said: “We, the elders, may have our differences, but we should not allow this conflict to affect the future of our children.”

On January 21, while sharing a video on his Facebook page, he praised the efforts of the Hmar community, a part of the Kuki-Zo umbrella group. “It is truly encouraging to note the warm gesture of our Hmar brothers and sisters who offered tea and snacks to the team led by Jiri Budhachandra during the road repair visit at Jairolpokpi in Jiribam. By rising above past differences, this act reflects a renewed commitment to peace and understanding. Such cooperation is a positive indication that peace is gradually returning, enabling development and progress. For our future generations, all 36 communities of Manipur must continue to walk together on the path of peace and harmony,” he said.

How Mr. Singh navigates governance issues with his two deputies — Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki Zo and Losii Dikho from Naga People’s Front (NPF), an alliance partner of the BJP — will be keenly watched in the days to come. Ms. Kipgen did not travel to Imphal to take the oath, instead she was sworn in virtually from Manipur Bhavan in Delhi and her appointment had led to widespread protests in Kuki-Zo areas with civil society groups demanding a resolution of their political demands before an MLA from the community provides legitimacy to the government.

With a year to go for the next elections, due in February 2027, Mr. Singh has his task cut out.