Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and state BJP president A Sharda Devi left Imphal for New Delhi on Friday indicating fresh political activity linked to the party’s organisational process and upcoming elections.
Speaking briefly to reporters at Imphal airport before his departure, Biren Singh said that the visit was “related to elections.” He did not elaborate further on the purpose or duration of the visit. Singh is also the leader of the BJP legislature party in Manipur and remains a key figure in the state’s political landscape.
A Sharda Devi, who travelled on a separate schedule, did not speak to the media before leaving for the national capital. Party sources, however, said her visit was also connected to internal party matters at the national level. 
According to a senior BJP functionary, the visit of the Manipur leaders is linked to the process of filing nominations for the election of a new national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party is currently in the process of organisational restructuring ahead of important political developments.
The visit comes at a sensitive time for Manipur, which has been grappling with prolonged ethnic violence since May 2023. The clashes between Imphal Valley-based Meitei groups and hill-based Kuki-Zo groups have claimed at least 260 lives and forced thousands of people to leave their homes. Large parts of the state continue to face tension, with security forces deployed in vulnerable areas.
Manipur is presently under President’s rule, imposed on February 13, 2025. This followed the resignation of N Biren Singh as chief minister on February 9 last year, amid mounting pressure over the handling of the law-and-order situation.
