The Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA), a political party formed ahead of the 2022 Manipur election has withdrawn support from the BJP-led government in the State.
In a letter to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on August 6, party president Tongmang Haokip said aligning with the government headed by Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh was “no longer fructuous” in view of the “current conflagration”.
“Accordingly, the support of the KPA to the government of Manipur is hereby withdrawn and can be considered null and void,” he wrote.
The community-specific KPA has two MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly. They are Kimneo Hangshing and Chinlunthang representing the Saikul and Singat constituencies respectively.
The withdrawal of their outside support is unlikely to impact the BJP, which has 32 seats. But it is said to have given a message to the remaining eight Kuki MLAs – seven of BJP and one independent – for taking a stand over the ethnic clashes in Manipur.
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All the Kuki MLAs who have been seeking the removal of Mr. Singh, holding him responsible for the conflict between the majority Meitei and the Kuki-Zomi people that broke out on May 3.
Despite a clear majority, the BJP formed an alliance government with the Naga People’s Front, which has four MLAs. The BJP, party insiders said, has the option of rekindling its friendship with the National People’s Party (NPP) in case the former’s Kuki MLAs quit.
The NPP won seven seats in the 2022 State polls.
The day also saw the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an umbrella organisation of the Meitei community, declaring a social boycott of the Manipur government for “not respecting the people’s resolution” on July 29 to hold a special session of the Assembly on August 5 against “Chin-Kuki narco-terrorism”.
