The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has maintained control in Manipur for a second term, winning a simple majority in the recent Assembly election. The BJP won 32 out of 60 seats, ending the hopes of its coalition partners, the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF), of retaining their influential positions. The opposition Congress party only managed to secure five seats, tying with the NPF in fourth place. The Janata Dal (United), BJP’s coalition partner in Bihar, surprised everyone by winning six seats and finishing third after the NPP. In 2017, the Congress won 28 seats compared to the BJP’s 21, but the BJP formed the first-ever BJP-led government in the state by forming post-poll alliances with the NPP, NPF, and Lok Janshakti Party and engineering the defection of a Congress legislator. The BJP’s vote share increased to 37.83 percent compared to 36.48 percent in 2017, while the Congress’ share decreased to 16.8 percent from 35.29 percent. The NPP and NPF also saw gains in their vote shares. Notable winners include Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, while Deputy Chief Minister Y. Joykumar was a prominent loser. N. Biren Singh called the victory a test of people’s faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the BJP’s governance. The BJP’s campaign focused on distributing free rations and vaccines and ensuring the state remained free of armed conflicts. The BJP won 26 out of 40 seats in the valley districts and increased its tally by one in the hill districts. The party’s alliance with the NPF and the NPP in Manipur is expected to impact the formation of alliances in Nagaland ahead of its upcoming elections. The Congress party accused the elections of being unfair and claimed that the state government paid militant groups ahead of the polls, while the NPP alleged attacks and intimidation by militants in favor of the BJP. The Election Commission ordered repolling in 12 polling stations due to clashes and malpractices. The BJP now faces the task of choosing a chief minister, with N. Biren Singh being a likely candidate.
Decisive Mandate Secured by BJP in Manipur Assembly Election Results
