NEW DELHI, Dec 15: The BJP’s central leadership on Sunday held a crucial meeting with its Manipur MLAs in New Delhi, bringing together Meitei and Kuki legislators under one roof as the party weighs options for restoring a popular government in the state, which has been under President’s Rule since February 2025.

The nearly two-hour-long meeting at the BJP headquarters was attended by the party’s national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santosh and Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra. In a brief official statement, the BJP said the discussions focused on “peace and progress in Manipur.”

However, party sources indicated that the talks went beyond the formal messaging, centring on addressing internal divisions within the state unit and facilitating direct engagement between Meitei and Kuki MLAs—seen as a prerequisite for any credible attempt at government formation.

“The positive aspect was that both Meitei and Kuki MLAs were present together. Issues concerning the party and the situation in Manipur were discussed. Government formation will be taken up after internal differences are sorted out, and more such meetings are likely,” a senior BJP leader said.

The meeting assumes added political and constitutional significance as Manipur is set to complete one year under President’s Rule in February 2026. Central leaders have earlier indicated that the party is not keen on repeatedly extending President’s Rule, noting that prolonged continuation becomes increasingly difficult under constitutional provisions.

Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had earlier said that BJP MLAs were summoned to Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur, hinting that the reinstallation of an elected government could be on the agenda. “I firmly believe that bringing back a popular government could be discussed,” he had said on Friday in Imphal.

President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur in February 2025 amid prolonged ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives since May 2023 and was extended by six months in August. While the Constitution permits President’s Rule for up to three years with parliamentary approval every six months, extensions beyond one year require stringent conditions, including certification that elections cannot be held.

Despite having 37 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, the BJP faces challenges in forming a government due to leadership rivalries and deep community divisions. A section of party leaders has openly opposed Biren Singh’s leadership, while several Kuki MLAs have distanced themselves from government-formation talks amid pressure from community organisations demanding a separate administrative arrangement.

With the Assembly’s term running until March 2027, BJP legislators fear that continued delay in restoring an elected government could hurt their credibility. Party leaders said Sunday’s meeting marked the beginning of a difficult but necessary process of reconciliation and consensus-building to pave the way for a popular government in Manipur.