After a strong wrestle for power with the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to create history in the Northeastern state Manipur. Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh has resigned as chief minister and BJP's winning candidate Nongthombam Biren Singh is set to stake claim to form a new government in the state. As Biren gears up to take over as the new chief minister, the locals are familiar with the prominent figure but here are few interesting facts about the new leader.
1. Nongthombam Biren was a former editor of a vernacular newspaper – Naharolgi Thoudang (A newspaper dedicated to the cause of human rights).
2. Interestingly, the 56-year-old politician was a national-level footballer before he turned journalist.
3. He began his political career with the Democratic Revolutionary People's Party and was elected to the state Assembly in 2002 from his home constituency – Heingang.
4. He joined the Congress party in 2003 and had been a cabinet minister in the Ibobi Singh government for over 10 years, holding important portfolios.
5. Critical of Ibobi's functioning, Biren revolted against him and quit the Congress party in October 2016. He then joined the BJP.
6. He was elected BJP's legislature party leader under the watch of Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
7. Biren garnered 10439 votes and won in the 2017 Assembly elections from Heingang constituency. He defeated his rival, a Trinamool Congress candidate Pangeijam Saratchandra Singh.
8. Biren claims that people voted against corruption and atrocities, including staged shootouts, and said that his government would "probe various incidents of corruption and book those guilty of fake encounters (shootouts)".
After wining the elections, Biren said, "We are thankful to the people for voting us to power and we will not let them down".
The BJP now has the support of 32 members in the 60-seat assembly.
No doubt, the road ahead is tough in view of the troubled situation in the state and the complexity of of it all. But Biren, after emerging victorious, is set to create history as the first BJP chief minister in the state.