44 MLAs ready to form new govt in Manipur, meet Governor

In Manipur, Forty-four MLAs are ready to form a new government in the state, BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh claimed on Wednesday after meeting Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Singh, along with nine other MLAs, met the governor at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. "Forty-four MLAs are ready to form a government as per the wishes of the people. We have conveyed this to the governor. We also discussed what solutions can be there for the issue," he said. 
Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta Singh, speaking on behalf of the group, stated that the delegation submitted a signed document to the Governor expressing their unified support for the formation of a "popular government." According to Singh, the document contained signatures from 22 MLAs affiliated with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Manipur.“We expect the formation of the popular government to happen soon. We are appealing to the Governor that we want a popular government. All NDA MLAs in Manipur are very keen to have a popular government installed. We also want the support of the public,” Singh stated after the meeting.
"The majority of people want a popular government installed, and that is the reason we came here to meet the Governor. We also discussed other things, like the functioning of the President's rule may not be the same after the formation of a popular government. Primarily and basically, the main point was the formation of a popular government. The response of the Governor was also nice", added Nishikanta Singh.
Manipur has been under President's Rule since February after BJP leader N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister, amid criticisms about his government's handling of the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and KukiZos, which broke out in May 2023. The 60-member assembly at present has 59 MLAs, with one seat vacant due to the death of a legislator. In the BJP-led coalition, there are 32 Meitei MLAs, three Manipuri Muslim MLAs and nine Naga legislators,
totalling 44. The Congress has five MLAs -- all Meiteis. The remaining 10 MLAs are Kukis -- seven of them won the last election on a BJP ticket, two belong to the Kuki Peoples' Alliance, and one is an Independent.The development comes amid massive protests in the Meitei-inhabited Imphal Valley over the hiding of the state's name written on the windshield of a government bus by security forces. Meitei groups have been demanding an apology from the governor over the incident that happened in Gwaltabi on May 20, and the resignation of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor.