Manipur BJP joins call to defer delimitation, cites NRC, census concerns

Imphal, April 1: Days after 16 political parties in Manipur urged the Centre to postpone the ongoing delimitation of electoral constituencies, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has now echoed similar sentiments, advocating for a delay.

On Tuesday, twelve BJP MLAs convened at the party’s state headquarters, Thambal Sanglen, in Imphal, to deliberate on the matter.

Following the meeting, MLA Y Khemchand Singh stated that the discussion focused on the delimitation exercise, with proposals being put forward by the state BJP. "A draft is being prepared," he added.

MLA K Robindro revealed that BJP legislators are pushing for a temporary deferment of the process.

"The Supreme Court has directed that delimitation in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur be completed within three months. In light of this, BJP MLAs met to discuss the issue. Since delimitation is scheduled for the entire country in 2026, we want the Centre to postpone it for the time being," Robindro said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Govindas Konthoujam highlighted the necessity of implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before carrying out the delimitation exercise.

"When it comes to delimitation, we stand by the people's will. But first, the 2001 Census must be reviewed," Konthoujam asserted.

Meanwhile, sources in the party disclosed that the legislators had recommended the formation of a committee to address concerns surrounding delimitation.

Simultaneously, civil society organisations, led by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), have intensified their opposition to the exercise.

COCOMI has warned that proceeding with delimitation without addressing the state’s undocumented immigration issue could be detrimental to the Meitei community.

According to the organisation, “the process could reduce the number of Meitei MLAs in the state assembly”, further marginalising the community.

The demand to defer delimitation is not new. On March 28, leaders from other political parties—including the National People's Party (NPP), Janata Dal United (JDU), Communist Party, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—held a meeting and urged authorities to delay the process.

NPP State President Yumnam Joykumar called for errors in the 2001 Census to be rectified before proceeding with the exercise. He suggested that the data be cross-verified using Aadhaar, the electoral roll, or other reliable sources to ensure accuracy.

With mounting pressure from various political factions and civil society groups, the fate of Manipur’s delimitation exercise remains uncertain.