IMPHAL: The suspense in Manipur over who will succeed Chief Minister N Biren Singh as caretaker continued, as the BJP struggled to find a consensus candidate. Speculation is rife that President’s rule could be imposed in the state.After holding separate closed-door meetings with BJP legislators for two days, the party’s Northeast in-charge, Sambit Patra, met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday evening. The details of that meeting remain unclear. State BJP chief A Sharda Devi, along with some ministers and MLAs, were also present. Before heading to the Raj Bhavan, Patra had met Biren Singh. The BJP appears to be divided into two factions: one supporting Biren Singh and the other consisting of ministers and MLAs who opposed his leadership.A senior BJP legislator told this newspaper that the Centre might impose President’s rule in the state.“I believe the order will come out soon. The Assembly will likely be kept in suspended animation under Article 356 and not dissolved. Once a new candidate for Chief Minister is found, the government will be formed again. President’s rule may not last even a month,” the legislator said.Congress slams Manipur governor over delay in calling assembly for constitutionally mandated session According to the opposition Congress, today (February 11) is the last day for a constitutionally mandated sitting of the Assembly’s session. Article 174 (1) stipulates that no more than a six-month gap can occur between the last sitting of one Assembly session and the first sitting of the next session, the Congress stated.The state government has urged people to maintain calm, while Lt Gen Abhijit S Pendharkar, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Nagaland-based 3 Corps, visited Imphal to review the operational preparedness of formations and units.In a statement, Chief Secretary PK Singh advised people not to fall prey to unverified news, rumors, or misinformation that could cause panic or disrupt peace and harmony.“It has also come to the government’s attention that certain unscrupulous individuals and groups may attempt to incite unrest, disrupt harmony, and spread fear among the public through false information, inflammatory content, or fabricated narratives. These attempts are intended to create lawlessness, and the public is strongly advised not to heed such misinformation or incitement,” the statement read.This came hours after unidentified gunmen abducted senior Imphal-based journalist Yambem Laba from his residence in the early hours of the morning. He was released around 1 p.m. Laba, a former member of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, has been a vocal critic of Biren Singh.On Tuesday, security forces arrested nine insurgents from Imphal West and Tengnoupal districts. The insurgents are members of four banned groups.After Biren’s resignation, BJP scouts for next Manipur CM
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