Manipur CM Biren Singh Likely To Resign Amid Escalating Violence: Reports

Amid the ongoing violence in the hill state, Manipur CM Biren Singh is likely to resign.

"He is likely to resign today," a senior official close to Singh was quoted in a Deccan Herald report as saying on Friday (30 June) morning.

Singh has an appointment with Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, during which he might submit his resignation, the Deccan Herald reported citing sources.

The buzz about CM Biren Singh's resignation was triggered by a news report published in a prominent English daily in Manipur.

According to a news report published in Sangai Express, Singh received several calls from New Delhi on Thursday.

During the calls, Singh was offered the option to resign or the Centre would take over the administration. The report suggests that the Assembly is likely to be put in animated suspension. However, the report said there was no official confirmation about the possibility of Singh's resignation.

The report comes two days after Governor Uikey's visit to New Delhi,where he separately met President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Uikey apprised them about the situation in Manipur and the steps taken to restore peace.

Both the Opposition parties and leaders within his own party have been criticizing Singh over his alleged failure to stop the violence and restore peace.

Raj Kumar Ranjan Singh, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and BJP MP from Manipur, openly accused the state of failing in maintaining law and order.

Several organizations, including the Opposition Congress, have also demanded Singh's removal and the imposition of President's Rule.

Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed concern about the sporadic incidents of violence and Biren's failure to prevent them during his meeting with the Manipur CM in New Delhi on 25 June.

The 62-year-old Biren took oath as Manipur CM for the second term last year after BJP won an absolute majority in the state for the first time.

Biren, a Meitei leader, had switched from Congress to BJP in 2016 and became the CM after the 2017 Assembly elections, when BJP first came to power in the state.