Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has accused the Manipur Governor of violating Article 174(1) of the Indian Constitution by not summoning the Manipur Legislative Assembly for its constitutionally mandated session. The article stipulates that there cannot be more than a six-month gap between the last sitting of an assembly session and the first sitting of the next assembly session.

Ramesh questioned the Governor’s decision, especially after Chief Minister Biren Singh’s resignation on Sunday night, ahead of a scheduled no-confidence motion. He claimed that the session was declared null and void because the BJP could not appoint a successor to the CM, and the party was uncertain about its next move.

The controversy surrounds the Governor’s decision to cancel the 7th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, which was scheduled to begin on February 10. The session was declared “null and void” with immediate effect, as per a notice released by Assembly Secretary K. Meghajit Singh on Sunday.

The situation in Manipur remains tense, with over 200 people killed in the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which began on May 3, 2023. The conflict was sparked by a Manipur High Court order directing the state to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Ramesh’s concerns highlight the growing political uncertainty in Manipur, with the BJP-led government facing criticism for its handling of the ethnic conflict and the Governor’s decision to cancel the assembly session.