The sudden arrival of B.L. Santosh, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation), and Sambit Patra, party’s Northeast Coordinator, in Imphal on Wednesday has triggered intense political speculation that the central leadership is preparing the ground for the restoration of an elected government in Manipur.
Their visit comes at a politically sensitive time when Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, after the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh following ethnic unrest and administrative paralysis. With the term of central rule extended until February 2026, the BJP’s top brass faces growing pressure from its own legislators to revive a “popular government.”
According to party sources, Santosh has been tasked with gauging the political mood within the state BJP unit, holding one-on-one interactions with MLAs, and submitting a report on the ground situation to the party’s national leadership. Meetings with BJP and friendly MLAs are reportedly being held behind closed doors to discuss feasibility, leadership options, and potential realignments that could pave the way for an interim political arrangement ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Political observers say the visit may not yield the government in the short run but can be a calculated move by the BJP’s high command to gauge if its state unit legislatures are united and strong enough to sustain a government. While the BJP is numerically strong, dissensions within the party and the volatile law-and-order situation in the state have kept the Centre from withdrawing President’s Rule prematurely.
Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s recent remarks have heated up the debate among the public. In an interview with Northeast Live, Biren Singh said that a group of 26 BJP MLAs had met Santosh and Patra already this month and urged the leadership to “install a popular government” and that they as a team were ready to resume governance. “We are united in this demand, and the leadership has assured us they are considering it,” he said.
The BJP MLA Kh. Robindro Singh said that what legislators want is a government “that reflects the aspirations of the people,” adding that restoring a representative government would be a means to rebuild trust and stability in the strife-torn state.
But political analysts are divided. Some see the visit as largely exploratory – to stem the erosion of party morale and to gauge the risk of factionalism – while others interpret it as a sign of Delhi’s growing willingness to re-introduce civilian governance to deflect criticism for prolonged central rule.
For now, no formal announcement has been made by visiting leaders. But their engagements in the next few days are expected to be crucial in determining whether Manipur is ready for its transition from administrative rule to a restored political government — one that could reshape the fragile political future of the state.