Imphal/IBNS: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has said the decision to continue or quit is not in his hands, in the backdrop of the rumours about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership change in the crisis-hit northeastern state, media reports said.

Singh told NDTV, "Staying on as Chief Minister or resigning is not in my hands."

His words come as the BJP is rumoured to be mulling the appointment of a new Chief Minister in the state after the saffron camp lost both Lok Sabha seats to Congress in 2024.

Singh attributed the defeat to the crisis surrounding the ethnic clashes prevailing in the state but maintained the party got the desired votes in the Lok Sabha elections.

"BJP's vote percentage is not low. What we expected, we got. This time we got more votes than last time but lost due to the rebelling situation," Singh told NDTV.

"I know people are angry with me for our handling of the situation. We accept it. The situation is very complex. We are not fighting with an identified enemy, the Chief Minister added.

More than 200 people died and about 50,000 others displaced after the ethnic clash between the Meiteis and Kukis broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

The outbreak of violence in Manipur can be traced back to the 'Tribal Solidarity March' initiated by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM).

The march was organized as a form of protest against the demand to include the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, which was prompted by a directive from the Manipur High Court on April 19.

The march served as a catalyst for the subsequent escalation of violence in the region.

Approximately 53 percent of the population in Manipur comprises Meiteis, residing predominantly in the Imphal Valley, while the remaining 40 percent consists of tribal communities such as Kukis, residing primarily in the hill districts surrounding the Valley.