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Next month, when 23 MPs join the Rajya Sabha, one of them could be former Manipur CM N Biren Singh. Sources in the BJP said Singh’s name was being seriously considered by the central leadership and he could be the one candidate coming from Manipur.

Of the 23 seats falling vacant in June in the Upper House, four each are from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and one each from Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.

A BJP leader in Delhi too confirmed developments around such a possibility. “It is being discussed, but the final call will be taken by the top leadership,” the leader said.

Sources said there was a need to placate an unseated CM and keep two party heavyweights in Manipur invested in separate geographic locations as far as possible.

After almost two years of ethnic conflict in Manipur, Singh had to resign as the CM on February 9, 2025. The state was then put under President’s Rule. A year later, much to the chagrin of the former CM, his rival Y Khemchand Singh was made the CM.

Sources said both at the time of his resignation and when the BJP central leadership chose Khemchand that Biren Singh had been promised that Delhi would take care of him and his political career would not be jeopardised.

The party gave him due importance even when there was President’s Rule in the state, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regularly engaging with him on issues related to the state. When the announcement of Khemchand becoming the CM was to be made, Shah chose Singh to do the honours, sources said.

“He had even been asked to give two names for the post of Chief Minister before the central leadership took a call on Y Khemchand Singh. Although his candidates were not selected, his key aides in the party were accommodated in the Khemchand cabinet,” said a BJP leader from the state.

However, the party is also aware of the pitfalls of having two political heavyweights in the state, especially when they are not known to be on great terms. When Biren Singh as CM was facing rebellion within the party through 2024-25, Khemchand’s was the most prominent voice.

In November 2024, Khemchand Singh openly criticised Biren Singh for refusing to resign amid the law and order crisis and unrest in the state. “I asked him to resign a couple of times, but he is not putting down his papers,” he said, adding, “He could not bring peace till now, so why isn’t he resigning?”

On February 3, 2025, Khemchand, who was Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister in Biren government, visited New Delhi and warned the central leadership of the party that the state government was likely to collapse if the CM was not replaced. Days later, Biren Singh was made to resign and President’s Rule was imposed.

Khemchand’s elevation as CM has thus created a situation of political uncertainty for Biren in the state. While he continues to enjoy the support of several MLAs and his confidants are part of the government, in politics influence begins to wane once one is out of office.

The development also comes amid murmurs in Manipur that unless accommodated, Biren Singh might launch his own party ahead of next year’s Assembly polls, something the BJP wanted to avoid.