Khemchand named BJP Legislature Party leader to be in line for CM

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 3 : Just 24 hours after BJP National general secretary Tarun Chugh was named the Central observer for electing/choosing/naming the BJP Legislature Party leader, the Central leadership of the saffron party has named Singjamei Assembly Constituency MLA Yumnam Khemchand for the position, literally paving the way for him to be the next Chief Minister when the popular BJP Government returns to power.
Along with naming Khemchand as the next BJP LP leader, the Central leaders of the BJP have also reportedly included Kang-pokpi AC MLA Nemcha Kipgen and Bishnupur AC MLA Govindas Kon- thoujam in the Council of Ministers. While Kipgen is reportedly in line to be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister, Govindas is likely to be allocated the Home portfolio.
With Khemchand named as the BJP Legislature leader, speculations on who would be the next Chief Minister has literally been set aside.
On being contacted, MLA Nemcha Kipgen said,  that the information that she is in line to be inducted as the Deputy Chief Minister is true. ‘Whatever message I have to convey to the people, let me do so once I am sworn in,’ added Kipgen.
Taking to X, Yumnam Khemchand said, ‘I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of commitment. I shall work with utmost sincerity towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Manipur...I remain dedicated to fostering empathy, compassion and harmony among all communities, respecting our diversity while strenghtening unity.’
BJP Manipur Pradesh senior spokesperson M Asnikumar has also congratulated Yumnam Khemchand Singh on being chosen by the Bharatiya Janata Party for appointment as the Chief Minister of Manipur.
“At this crucial juncture, the people of Manipur look forward with hope to your leadership to restore peace, strengthen trust, and steer the State towards stability, development, and inclusive growth. I am confident that your experience, resolve, and commitment to the welfare of all communities will guide Manipur on the path of harmony, progress, and prosperity”, Asnikumar said in his congratulatory message.
The announcement came after the BJP leadership met the party's MLAs from Manipur and leaders of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in Delhi.
The BJP's Central observer for Manipur, Tarun Chugh, and its North East in-charge, Sambit Patra, attended the meeting.
With his elevation as the BJP Legislature Party Leader, political circles are abuzz with speculation that Yumnam Khemchand Singh is a frontrunner for the post of Manipur Chief Minister, should the BJP move towards Government formation once normal political processes resume. Sources indicate that his administrative experience, legislative background, and acceptability within the party make him a strong contender for the top post, reports IndiaToday NE.
Khemchand, 61, is considered a non-polarising figure, acceptable across internal party factions during a period of political transition, sources said. Khemchand is seen as a steady administrative choice amid political uncertainty in Manipur; he may be able to bring together organisation, discipline, and low-key authority, rather than mass rhetoric.
Manipur's Assembly has been in a state of suspended animation - inactive but not dissolved - after President's Rule came in February 2025.
There are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur's 60-member Assembly. Initially, 32 BJP candidates won the 2022 Assembly election. Five Janata Dal (United) candidates out of the six who got elected later defected to the BJP.
The other MLAs include six from the National People's Party, five from the Naga People's Front, five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance, one from Janata Dal (United) and three independents.
One seat is vacant after the death of an MLA.
About Yumnam Khemchand
He's the MLA of Singjamei Assembly Constituency in Imphal West district. He was appointed Cabinet Minister in the second term of the Government led by former Chief Minister N Biren Singh in 2022.
Khemchand remained a Minister till the imposition of President's Rule in February 2025. During his Ministerial tenure, he held key portfolios including Municipal Administration and Housing Development (MAHUD), Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Education.
He served as Speaker of the Manipur Assembly from 2017 to 2022. Khemchand is known within the BJP as a grassroots organiser with strong organisational credentials.
He was a businessman before he joined active politics. He was also a Taekwondo player whose training began when he was in his teens. He was recently honoured by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation in South Korea in recognition of his decades of discipline and mastery of the martial art.
The new developments may well signal the end of President's Rule which was imposed on February 13, 2025, after the then Chief Minister N Biren Singh gave in his paper on February 9, 2025.
The Times of India reports that a threat of a no-confidence motion loomed against his (Biren) Government after Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma's NPP withdrew support to the BJP-led Govt in Manipur saying CM N Biren Singh had "failed completely" in arresting the State's descent into a spiral of ceaseless violence since the ethnic strife.