Bid to save face, says tribal body; BJP defends ex-CM

BJP's Manipur unit chief Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi stood up for outgoing CM N Biren Singh, saying he did "so much" for the state since 2017, only to be confronted by an ethnic conflict that "caused him distress for two years". Sharda Devi said the footballer-turned-politician decided to exit make way as CM "thinking about the future of the state and its people".
Ginza Vualzong of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum said Biren's resignation was pre-emptive. "I believe he knew that he would be voted out in the no-confidence motion in the assembly. He must have submitted his resignation to save face...Moreover, with his leaked audio tape being taken up by SC, I guess this time, even the BJP govt can't do much to save him.