BJP announces N. Biren Singh as CM candidate for Manipur

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced the name of Nongthombam Biren Singh as the legislative party leader.

Biren Singh said he left the Congress Party because of misgovernance.

"It is a great challenge. The people have given the mandate for a change and I assure that our team under the leadership of Prime Minsister Narendra Modi will surely provide good governance," Singh said.

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal said the decision is unanimous and the BJP will soon move to stake claim to form government in the state.

"After extensive consultations and discussions with the party president, Amit Shah, who has been authorised by the Parliamentary board of the BJP to finalise the leader of the legislature party in Manipur, party MLA Biswajeet Singh proposed the name that the legislature party leader in Manipur will be N. Biren Singh who has been elected unanimously," he added.

He further said that BJP will be forming the government in the state with the support of three parties-- the Naga People's Front (NPF), the National People's Party (NPP), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other newly elected MLAs.

A national football player-turned journalist-turned-politician, 56-year-old Biren Singh is the first BJP candidate to be the chief minister of Manipur.

He began his political career in 2002 when he was elected to the eighth Manipur Legislative Assembly from his home constituency, Heingang, as a Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party candidate.

Singh made his debut as a minister in the state in 2003 when was appointed minister of state for vigilance.

He later became vice-president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee after he led a subtle dissidence against Ibobi five years ago and asked for a leadership change in the state.