Several political parties in Manipur have passed a five-point resolution opposing the Supreme Court’s directive to complete the long-pending delimitation process in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam. The resolution was adopted during a meeting in Imphal on Tuesday, which was attended by representatives of 16 different political parties. However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress were notably absent from the discussion.

Among the political parties present at the meeting were the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), National People’s Party (NPP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Janata Dal United (JD-U), Naga People’s Front (NPF), Republican Party of India (Athawale) (RPI-A), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nationalist Congress Party SP (NCP-SP), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Shiv Sena (SS), Shiv Sena UBT, and Manipur People’s Party (MPP).

Former deputy chief minister and NPP state president Yumnam Joykumar expressed concerns that conducting the delimitation process amid the ongoing ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities, based on what he described as flawed 2001 census data, could further escalate tensions. He also warned that the process might drag the Naga community into the conflict, complicating the situation even further.

The resolution passed by the political parties outlined several key demands, including a call to halt the delimitation process until errors in the 2001 census data are corrected. The parties also urged that delimitation be conducted in 2026 as part of the nationwide process rather than in isolation. They emphasized that the current unrest in Manipur makes delimitation unfeasible at this time and called on both the BJP and Congress to endorse the resolution and join future discussions. Additionally, the meeting resolved that Manipur’s political parties should intervene in the ongoing Supreme Court petition to seek a delay in the delimitation process.

To ensure the implementation of these resolutions, a sub-committee was formed, comprising Yumnam Joykumar, Kshetrimayum Shanta, Nongthombam Singhajit, Oinam Nabakishor, and Thingom Bishwanath. Joykumar further suggested that verifying the 2001 census data through cross-referencing with Aadhaar records, electoral rolls, or other reliable methods would be essential for an accurate and fair delimitation process.