The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won a clear majority in the recently-concluded Assembly elections in Manipur by bagging 32 seats in the 60-member House, is yet to name its chief minister. Meanwhile, the name of former minister Thongam Biswajit Singh is emerging as the front runner. However, he has on Thursday refused to comment on speculations doing the rounds about him in the race for the next Chief Minister of the state.
Speaking to media persons, Biswajit Singh said, "I don't want to comment on that (on reports that he is in the race to become the next Chief Minister of Manipur). We don't have any group, among ourselves, that is for sure. The BJP is a democratic party, and leadership will decide this (the CM issue)."
Singh said is no "groupism" in the Manipur BJP and state leaders went to Delhi to celebrate the party's victory in the assembly elections. He added that the announcement on the new chief minister is delayed as Parliament is in session now.
"The Manipur BJP leaders' meeting with central leaders in New Delhi was to celebrate the party's victory in the recently-concluded state assembly elections. Nothing related to the BJP legislature party leader was discussed," he said.
"The parliamentary board of the party will be announcing the state legislature party leader. The announcement is delayed as Parliament is in session now," he added.
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited Delhi and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the formation of the new government in the state. Biren Singh, who arrived in the national capital on Tuesday, also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He was also accompanied by Biswajit Singh and other senior leaders to the national capital.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)
