UKHRUL: President’s Rule in Manipur has been revoked on Tuesday, bringing an end to nearly one year of Central administration in the state. The revocation was notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs through a proclamation issued by President Droupadi Murmu and published in The Gazette of India (Extraordinary).
The proclamation withdraws the President’s Rule imposed on February 13, 2025, following the resignation of then chief minister N Biren Singh amid prolonged ethnic conflict and administrative paralysis. The revocation has come into force with effect from February 4, 2026.
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President’s Rule had been imposed to ensure continuity of governance after the state government was found unable to function in accordance with constitutional provisions in the wake of sustained law and order challenges arising from the Meitei–Kuki conflict. With its imposition in 2025, Manipur became one of the few states in the country to witness repeated Central intervention under Article 356 of the Constitution.
The latest spell marked the 11th time President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur, including periods when the state was a Union Territory between 1967 and 1972. The previous instance of President’s Rule in the state was from June 2, 2001 to March 6, 2002, lasting 277 days.
The revocation clears the way for the restoration of an elected government in the state. Earlier in the day, BJP Legislature Party leader Yumnam Khemchand arrived in Imphal to stake claim to form the government before the Governor. A formal oath-taking ceremony is expected to be held later today at Lok Bhavan.
Historically, President’s Rule in Manipur has been imposed largely due to breakdowns in law and order, collapse of governments following defections, and internal political instability. The longest spell of Central rule in the state was during the Naga–Kuki clashes between 1993 and 1994, which lasted close to a year.
Under Article 356 of the Constitution, the Centre is empowered to assume direct control of a state’s administration if it is unable to carry out governance in accordance with constitutional norms. While the provision has been invoked multiple times in Manipur, its frequent use has also remained a subject of political debate.
With the revocation of President’s Rule, Manipur is set to return to constitutional governance under an elected dispensation, ending a prolonged phase of Central administration amid one of the most challenging periods in the state’s recent history.