Yumnam Khemchand Singh was elected BJP Legislature Party leader in Manipur
The decision comes as the violence-hit state nears one year under President’s Rule.
Khemchand is among the few Meitei leaders accepted by sections of the Kuki-Zo community.
RSS functionary and senior BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh (62) was on Tuesday elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party in Manipur, marking a key step towards reviving an elected government in the ethnic-violence-hit northeastern state.
Khemchand’s elevation comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Manipur approaching one year under central rule in February, following the outbreak of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023. The conflict has so far claimed over 250 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday appointed its national general secretary, Tarun Chugh, as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Manipur. The decision was taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board.
In a post on X, the Manipur BJP congratulated Khemchand on his election, stating: “Heartiest congratulations to Hon’ble Shri @YKhemchandSingh on being elected as the BJP Legislature Party Leader of Manipur. On behalf of BJP Manipur Pradesh, we wish you great success. Your experience, dedication, and leadership will further strengthen the party and serve the aspirations of the people of Manipur.”
Khemchand is seen as one of the few Meitei leaders who has retained a degree of acceptance among sections of the Kuki-Zo community. In December 2025, he became the first Meitei MLA to visit Kuki villages since the outbreak of the conflict. During the visit, he travelled to Litan and Chassad villages and interacted with residents. While Litan falls under Ukhrul district, Chassad lies in Kamjong—both Naga-majority districts.
The Kuki-Zo legislators were present were present and attented the Tuesday meeting. According to sources, some Kuki-Zo MLAs have expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership decision , describing themselves as “upset and betrayed” with the choice.
The BJP currently has 37 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, including seven Kuki-Zo legislators. In total, there are 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs in the Assembly—two from the Kuki People’s Alliance and one is an Independent.
A former Speaker of the Manipur Assembly, Khemchand began his political career in 2002 alongside former chief minister N Biren Singh. Both were part of the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party (DRPP), formed in the aftermath of Meitei protests against the Government of India’s decision to extend the 1997 ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) to Manipur.
While Biren Singh was elected to the Assembly that year and later merged with the Congress, Khemchand remained outside electoral politics for over a decade. A senior taekwondo sportsperson and teacher—who recently received his 5th Dan black belt—Khemchand joined the BJP in 2013 and entered the Manipur Assembly for the first time in 2017 from the Singjamei constituency. He subsequently became part of the state’s first-ever BJP government.
On social media, Khemchand has consistently positioned himself as a BJP leader who publicly condemns violence, including issuing statements denouncing specific incidents such as murders during the ongoing unrest.
Lun Kipgen, spokesperson of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), said the Kuki-Zo community was “appalled” by the latest political developments aimed at reinstalling an elected government without first addressing what he described as a deep “trust deficit” between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities.
In a statement, Kipgen said the community could not accept the idea of Kuki-Zo MLAs being part of a government led by “valley MLAs who have already pledged allegiance to the armed secessionist group Arambai Tenggol.” Whether the chief minister was Yumnam Khemchand Singh, N Biren Singh or Thongam Biswajit Singh, he said, “it makes no difference for the Kuki-Zo community since they are part of the same community.” He also questioned the silence of so-called liberals during Biren Singh’s tenure, asking where they were “when Biren misused his power.”
Singh's selection as legislature party leader is being closely watched amid continuing tensions and efforts to restore a political process in a state deeply scarred by prolonged ethnic strife.
