Footballer, journalist and chief minister: Biren Singh has come a long way in Manipur politics

Guwahati: Amidst charges of horse-trading and speculation of a possible split in Congress party, BJP-led government in Manipur was sworn-in on Wednesday with Nongthombam Biren Singh being administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Najma Heptulla at Imphal.

Heptulla on Tuesday invited Singh, who was unanimously elected the leader of the 21-member BJP legislature party on Monday, to form the government.

A national level football player-turned-journalist Nongthombam Biren Singh was key member of the Congress party when he decided to join BJP in October 2016. Mr Singh started his political journey with a regional Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party in 2002.

He was elected to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from Hein-gang constituency. The party later merged with Congress before the 2004 Assembly elections.

In 2003, he was appointed as minister of state for vigilance and later became minister of irrigation and flood control and youth affairs and sports. He retained his Assembly seat in both 2007 and 2012.

However, his relationship with then Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh strained after he was dropped from the cabinet in 2012.