Yumnam Khemchand Singh Takes Oath as Manipur Chief Minister

BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Manipur on Wednesday, bringing an end to months of President’s Rule and restoring an elected government in the violence-scarred northeastern state.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan. Singh, the MLA from Singjamei, had earlier met the Governor to formally stake his claim to form the government after being elected leader of the BJP legislative party. His appointment followed consultations among NDA leaders in New Delhi a day earlier.

The new council of ministers reflects Manipur’s ethnic diversity, with two Deputy Chief Ministers representing different communities. Nemcha Kipgen of the BJP, from the Kuki community, was sworn in virtually from New Delhi, becoming the first woman from the community to hold the post. Losii Dikho of the Naga People’s Front, representing the Naga community, also took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.

In addition, BJP’s Govindas Konthoujam and Kh Loken of the National People’s Party were inducted into the cabinet.

Manipur had been under President’s Rule since February 2025, following the resignation of then Chief Minister N Biren Singh amid prolonged ethnic unrest. Parliament had approved a six-month extension of central rule, which was due to expire later this month.

Singh, 62, is serving his second term as a legislator and has held several key positions in the past. He was Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2022 and later managed important portfolios including rural development, panchayati raj and education. He entered electoral politics in 2002 and joined the BJP in 2013.

During the ongoing ethnic tensions, Singh has stood out as the only Meitei MLA to visit a relief camp housing displaced members of the Kuki-Zo community, a gesture that drew attention across political and social circles.

Beyond politics, Singh is also a noted martial artist. He is the first Indian to be awarded the fifth-degree black belt in traditional Taekwondo by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation in Seoul.

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