Manipur polls: A clear verdict promises smooth sailing for Biren Singh 2.0

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coasting to a comfortable victory, N Biren Singh is a happy man. Not only has he succeeded in defeating Congress candidate P Saratchandra Singh in his constituency, Heingang, by a margin of more than 18,000 votes, huge for an Assembly election, he is readying to form a government – hopefully without crutches.
 

The BJP has touched the magic mark of 31 seats on its own, thus eliminating the need for support from either the Naga People’s Front (NPF) or the National People’s Party (NPP). The latter, led by Conrad Sangma, was hoping that it