Yumnam Khemchand Singh Takes Oath as Manipur CM

Guwahati: After a year of President's rule, senior BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn-in as the chief minister of Manipur at the Lok Bhavan in Imphal, hours after the President's rule in Manipur was revoked.

Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla administered the oath of office and secrecy to him.

Two deputy chief ministers, one from the Kuki-Zo community and another from the Naga community, also took the oath. Naga People's Front MLA Losii Dikho was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.

Kangpokpi MLA Nemcha Kipgen, a Kuki leader, took the oath as deputy chief minister virtually from New Delhi. She has represented Kangpokpi as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) since 2012. During the first N Biren Singh government (2017–2020), she served as Minister for Social Welfare and Cooperation. In the second Biren Singh government, she served as the Cabinet Minister overseeing Commerce & Industry, Textiles, and Cooperation. She is married to ST Thangboi Kipgen, who is the chairman of the Kuki National Front.

Two others — Govindas Konthoujam of BJP and Kh Loken of National People’s Party — were also sworn in as ministers.

The ceremony was attended by several BJP legislators, senior party functionaries, and top leaders of the NDA in the state.

Earlier in the day, Mr Khemchand met Mr Bhalla, the Governor of Manipur, at Lok Bhavan in Imphal, and submitted a claim to form a BJP-led NDA government in the state.

Soon after his swearing in, the chief minister Mr Khemchand said, “I am confident that with the formation of the new Council of Ministers, peace and development will serve as the guiding principles of the new government,”

He said that 36 tribal communities constitute Manipur and restoring and maintaining harmony among all the communities would be the priority of his government. “The appointment of deputy chief ministers would certainly help us in achieving our objectives of restoring peace and harmony,” said Mr Khemchand during the interaction with reporters at Lok Bhawan.

Mr Singh has a long-time association with RSS. He served the state in several key constitutional and ministerial positions in the state. Apart from politics, he has had a long association with Taekwondo. A black belt holder, he is a former vice-president of the Taekwondo Federation of India and has been involved in the promotion of the sport in the Northeast.

He first contested in the 2012 Assembly polls on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket, but lost to a Congress candidate. He formally joined the BJP in 2013.

Born at Singjamei Yumnam Leikai, he completed his High School Leaving Certificate in 1978 from Ram Lal Paul High School in Imphal. He is married and has a son.