The Janata Dal (United) in Manipur announced on Wednesday that it would withdraw its support for the BJP-led Biren Singh government, as reported by PTI. Md Abdul Nasir, the party’s sole MLA in the state, will now sit on the opposition benches.
Despite the JD(U)’s withdrawal, the BJP government remains stable, holding 37 out of 60 seats in the legislative assembly, with additional support from five MLAs of the Naga People’s Front and three independents.
In a formal letter to Manipur’s Governor, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, JD(U) state president Ksh Biren Singh outlined the party’s position. He noted that in the 2022 state elections, JD(U) initially secured six seats, but five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP. The matter is still under review by the Speaker’s Tribunal.
Singh further clarified that JD(U) had pulled its support from the BJP-led government following its alignment with the India Bloc, leading to Md Abdul Nasir being seated in the opposition during the last assembly session.
JD(U) had previously won six seats in the 2022 election with a 12% vote share, marking its return to the state assembly after a gap since 2000. However, a significant shift occurred when five of JD(U)’s MLAs joined the BJP. Nitish Kumar, who had recently exited the NDA to form an alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD, questioned the constitutionality and fairness of such defections.
Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in January 2024 and took office as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a ninth term. Despite challenges in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with BJP securing 240 seats but not enough for a majority, JD(U) maintained its alliance with the BJP. The Bihar state assembly elections are set to take place later this year, in October-November.