Manipur: N Biren Singh & Thongam Biswajit rush to Delhi, hope for a new CM gets wings

IMPHAL: The selection of BJP legislature wing leader might be settled soon as caretaker chief minister N Biren Singh and MLA Thongam Biswajit airdashed to New Delhi in separate flights on Saturday after being summoned by central party leaders.
Despite the saffron party having won absolute majority in the recently held Manipur assembly polls by grabbing 32 seats of the 60-member house, the party is yet to finalise the installation of its next government and appointment of chief minister.
During electioneering, BJP did not project the chief ministerial candidate of the state. Results of the polls were declared on March 10.
Both Biren and Biswajit had flatly rejected media reports of creating groupism among the newly elected BJP MLAs over selection of the party's legislature wing leader, saying that the central party leaders would take a decision on it.
Sources said Biswajit left for the national capital on Saturday morning at 9.45, while Biren departed Imphal at 2.45 pm.
Though Manipur unit BJP leaders are not fully aware of the reason behind the departure of the two party strongmen in a hurried manner, political analysts said the BJP top brass might take a final decision to name the next CM after holding a meeting with the duo.
On March 14, BJP parliamentary board had appointed Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and law and justice minister Kiren Rijiju as central observer and co-observer for the appointment of the party's legislature wing leader.
Nirmala and Kiren, who were supposed to arrive in Manipur on Saturday to finalize the leadership issue, might hold separate meetings with the duo, sources said.
On Tuesday, Biren, Biswajit , the party's national general secretary Abhay Kumar Giri and Manipur unit party president A Sharda Devi were summoned by the central party leaders in New Delhi.
After their arrival in Imphal in separate flights on Thursday, both Biren and Biswajit said nothing was discussed on appointing the new Manipur CM in Delhi and they celebrated BJP's victory in the polls and reviewed the party's performance and its strong and weak points in the elections.
During his Delhi stint, Biren on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi , home minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda and other top leaders of the party .