Guwahati: BJP' s firebrand MP and BJP North East in-charge Sambit Patra met with BJP's Kuki Zo community legislators and later former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for over two hours on Tuesday during a high-stakes visit to the troubled state.
The closed-door meeting at Biren Singh's Luwangshangbam residence occurred immediately after Patra returned from Churachandpur district, where ethnic tensions remain high.
Sources confirmed several MLAs attended the private discussion with the former chief minister. Following this meeting, Patra visited Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata at his Bhramapur Bheigyabati Leikai residence before engaging with multiple legislators at Hotel Imphal, including Sanasam Premchandra, Karam Shyam, L. Sushindro, Awanboi Newmai, Loshi Dekho, and others.
In a significant political development, BJP Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra went to Churachandpur by helicopter once he landed Imphal airport from New Delhi on Monday and met key leaders, including BJP's Thanlon MLA Vungzagin Valte, who has been confined to a wheelchair since surviving a mob attack in Imphal on May 4, 2023 during the outbreak of ethnic violence.
During his visit, Patra also held meetings with Churachandpur legislator L M Khaute and leaders of the Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF), who submitted a memorandum outlining their concerns.
Additionally, he held closed-door discussions with leaders of the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) and Zomi Council (ZC), highlighting the BJP’s ongoing engagement with community representatives amid the prolonged ethnic unrest in the state.
Responding to media queries, Patra clarified that this was an “unofficial visit”.
The BJP leader’s presence in the violence-hit district comes days after 21 MLAs from Manipur wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the Centre to install a “popular government” to help restore peace and normalcy in the state, currently under President’s Rule.
Manipur has been suffering from ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023, resulting in over 260 deaths.
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