Yumnam Khemchand Singh Appointed as the New Chief Minister of Manipur

Manipur has been grappling with prolonged ethnic clashes, which led to the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh last year. Following his resignation, President’s Rule was imposed in the state for six months and was later extended. As part of the Centre’s efforts to facilitate the formation of a new government, the BJP on Tuesday unanimously elected Yumnam Khemchand Singh as the leader of its legislative party in Manipur. This has paved the way for the 62-year-old leader to be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of the state.

For the past several days, the BJP’s national leadership has been holding deliberations in New Delhi to expedite the government formation process in Manipur. Extensive consultations were held with BJP MLAs from the state. Subsequently, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh was appointed as the Central Observer to oversee the election of the legislative party leader. Following this process, Khemchand Singh was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader.

Who is Yumnam Khemchand Singh?

Yumnam Khemchand Singh has emerged as a key BJP leader in Manipur’s political landscape. He was elected as an MLA from the Singjamei constituency in Imphal West district in both the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections. From March 2017 to March 2022, he served as the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. After the BJP secured a majority in the 2022 elections, he was inducted into the Biren Singh cabinet for a second term as a minister.

During his tenure, Khemchand Singh handled several important portfolios, including Municipal Administration, Housing Development, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and the Education Department. He efficiently managed these responsibilities until President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur in February 2025. Beyond politics, he has a strong interest in martial arts. In December 2025, he was awarded the Fifth Dan Black Belt in traditional Taekwondo by the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation in Seoul, becoming the first Indian to receive this prestigious honor.