The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU) has denied all reports of withdrawing support from the BJP-led government of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Manipur and said, 'The reports are misleading and baseless.'
JDU national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said, "This is misleading and baseless. The party has taken cognisance of this, and the president of the Manipur unit of the party has been relieved of his position. We have supported NDA, and our support to the NDA government in Manipur will continue even in the future. The Manipur unit did not have any communication with the central leadership; they were not taken into confidence. He (Manipur JDU chief) had written the letter on his own. Considering this an act of indiscipline, action was taken against him, and he was relieved of his position. We are with the NDA, and the state unit will continue to serve the people of Manipur towards the development of the state."
Earlier, the president of the Manipur unit of the party announced that the JDU has officially withdrawn its support from the BJP-led government in the state. This decision leaves the party’s lone MLA in the state Assembly to join the opposition bench.
In a letter to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, state JDU chief Ksh Biren Singh said, "In the election to state assembly of Manipur held in February/ March 2022, six candidates set up by JD (U) were returned. After a few months, five MLAs of JD (U) defected to BJP. Trial under Tenth Schedule of India of the five MLAs is pending before the Speaker's Tribunal. After JD (U) became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP-led government was withdrawn by JD(U)... as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD(U) in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the Assembly by the Speaker," the letter added.
The JDU had been a part of the BJP-led alliance since 2022. However, the party's decision to break ties reflects a change in its stance toward the ruling government in Manipur. In 2022, five of the six JDU MLAs had defected to the BJP, strengthening Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s government.
No immediate threat to BJP majority
Despite JDU's exit, the BJP's majority in the Manipur Assembly ensures that the stability of the Biren Singh-led government remains unaffected. The withdrawal is unlikely to impact governance or legislative processes in the state.
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