Imphal: A day before the Assembly session, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday submitted his resignation to state’s Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the state capital. 

“Extremely grateful to the Central government for timely actions, interventions, developmental work and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interest of every single Manipuri,” Singh stated in his resignation letter, which he handed over to Governor Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan.

Reports suggest that the Congress party's threat of a no-confidence motion played a crucial role in Singh’s decision to step down. The Congress was confident of securing support from BJP MLAs, many of whom were reportedly dissatisfied with Singh's leadership. 

"My sincere request to the Central government through your good office is to continue with the same. I take the opportunity to enumerate the most important ones of them," he said, citing these as maintaining the "territorial integrity of Manipur which has a rich and diverse civilizational history over thousands of years", cracking down "on border infiltration and to formulate policy for the deportation of the illegal immigrants" and "the fight against drugs and narco terrorism", he added.

He also listed the "stringent and fool-proof revised mechanism of FMR with the biometric being stringently applied" and "time bound and faster border which is underway".

According to sources, the evolving situation was communicated to the Centre by Governor Ajay Bhalla, indicating the seriousness of the political crisis.

Accompanying Singh during his resignation meeting were state BJP president A Sharda, BJP’s North East Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra and at least 19 MLAs. Singh had earlier met with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

The resignation comes after weeks of increasing pressure from Opposition parties and a growing sense of discontent within the ruling party's ranks. The Congress party had been vocal in its criticism of Singh's leadership, with the possibility of a no-confidence motion looming large.

Nongthombam Biren Singh, 64, took over as the 12th Chief Minister of Manipur on March 15, 2017, after leading the BJP to its first victory in the state, and retained power in the 2022 Assembly elections. However, the ethnic violence between Meitis and Kuki-Zos that broke out in May 2023 in the state, had cast a cloud over his second term.

(With Agency inputs)