JD(U) Reaffirms Support For BJP In Manipur, Sacks State Unit President For Withdrawing From Govt

The Janata Dal (United) has clarified that it continues to back the N Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur, labelling claims of withdrawing support as "baseless".

The party also dismissed its Manipur unit president, Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, after he wrote a letter reiterating the alleged withdrawal of support without consulting the central leadership.

Photo Credit: PTI

The JD(U) cited indiscipline as the reason for his removal and reaffirmed its alliance with the BJP both at the state and national levels, reported India Today.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad described the letter as misleading, stating that the state unit had not been in communication with the central leadership and acted independently.

"The party has taken note of this, and the president of the Manipur unit has been relieved of his position. We have supported the NDA, and our support for the NDA government in Manipur will continue in the future. The Manipur unit did not have any communication with the central leadership, and they were not consulted. He (the Manipur JD(U) chief) wrote the letter on his own," Prasad said.

"Considering this an act of indiscipline, action has been taken against him, and he has been relieved of his position...We stand with the NDA, and the state unit will continue working for the development of Manipur," he added.

The controversy began when Kshetrimayum Biren Singh wrote to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, claiming that JD(U) was reaffirming its withdrawal of support from the BJP government and that the party's lone MLA, Md Abdul Nasir, would sit on the Opposition benches.

The letter mentioned the defection of five out of JD(U)'s six MLAs to the BJP following the 2022 Manipur Assembly elections and linked the decision to the party's earlier alignment with the INDIA bloc.

While the JD(U) has now clarified its position in Manipur, the letter initially raised questions due to the party's role as a key ally of the BJP both at the Centre and in Bihar.

The BJP, however, continues to hold a strong majority in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, with 37 legislators, along with additional support from five Naga People's Front MLAs and three Independents.

This development follows a similar action last year when the Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party withdrew support from the Manipur government.

However, JD(U)'s central leadership has distanced itself from drawing any such parallels, stressing that its alliance with the BJP in Manipur, Bihar, and at the Centre remains intact.