President’s Rule was revoked in Manipur with immediate effect on Wednesday after President Droupadi Murmu withdrew the proclamation imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution, clearing the way for the formation of a new elected government in the state.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification stating that the President had revoked the Proclamation imposed on February 13, 2025, following a report from the Governor citing a breakdown of constitutional machinery in Manipur.
As per the proclamation published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), the withdrawal took effect on February 4, 2026. “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of article 356 of the Constitution, I, Droupadi Murmu, President of India hereby revoke the Proclamation issued by me under the said article on the 13th day of February, 2025, in relation to the State of Manipur with effect from the 4th day of February, 2026,” the notification said.
The decision comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party named Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a two-time MLA, as the leader of its legislature party in Manipur, formally projecting him as the state’s next chief minister. The choice was finalised at a meeting of BJP MLAs held at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Also read: BJP set to form government in Manipur after a year of PR
Singh, 62, was subsequently elected leader of the National Democratic Alliance legislature party and is set to take oath along with other members of the council of ministers. He will have two deputy chief ministers, one from the Kuki-Zo community and another from the Naga community, in an effort to reflect the state’s ethnic diversity. Kangpokpi MLA Nemcha Kipgen has been appointed as one of the deputy chief ministers, while the BJP’s alliance partner, the Naga People’s Front, is expected to name the Naga representative shortly.
A member of the Meitei community and a trained engineer, Singh previously served as the Municipal Administration Minister in the former N Biren Singh government and had emerged as a contender for the chief minister’s post after the 2022 Assembly elections.
President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur days after N Biren Singh resigned as chief minister on February 9, 2025, amid mounting criticism over his government’s handling of the ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023. The unrest, involving clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities, led to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of around 60,000 people.
Since his appointment on January 3, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been engaging with various stakeholders and community representatives to assess the situation and explore pathways to restore normalcy in the violence-hit state.
The revocation of President’s Rule marks a significant political development in Manipur after nearly a year of central rule.
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