NEW DELHI: Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned on Sunday amid ongoing ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities, nearly 21 months after violence in the northeastern province killed over 250 people and displaced thousands. The assembly session scheduled for Monday, during which the opposition had planned to bring a no-confidence motion against Singh, has been scrapped. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has accepted Singh's resignation and asked him to continue in office until alternative arrangements are made. The BJP has yet to decide on a new Chief Minister.

Singh's resignation followed a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and increasing pressure from within his party, after weeks of discord within the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state unit and the looming threat of a no-confidence motion in the assembly. The ethnic violence, which began in May 2023, has resulted in over 250 deaths and displaced thousands. Several media reports claimed that Singh was losing support among BJP MLAs, many of whom met senior national party leaders to express their dissatisfaction with his continued leadership.

Opposition leaders, led by the Congress party, criticized Singh's resignation as "too little, too late" and accused the BJP of attempting to avoid the no-confidence motion. The Congress promptly reacted, stating that the 'belated' resignation was akin to 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted,' and said the people of the state were now awaiting a visit from 'our frequent-flier Prime Minister' Narendra Modi.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also took to social media, blaming Modi as the real culprit of 'disdain and apathy' towards the strife-torn state. He posted on X, "It is painful to say that for 21 months, the BJP ignited a fire in Manipur and left the people across communities to fend for themselves."

Earlier this week, a new controversy erupted after the Supreme Court sought a sealed-cover forensic report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging Singh's role in the ethnic violence. The tapes reportedly included conversations where Singh allegedly suggested that Meitei groups were allowed to loot arms and ammunition from the state government during the unrest, which has so far claimed 250 lives.