PM Modi Greets Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh On Birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended birthday wishes to Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, describing him as an experienced leader committed to advancing prosperity and good governance in the state.

In a post on X, Modi said, “Birthday wishes to Manipur Chief Minister, Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh Ji. He is an experienced leader who is at the forefront of furthering prosperity and good governance for Manipur. May he lead a long and healthy life in the service of the people.”

Born on March 1, 1963, in Manipur, Singh has been serving as Chief Minister since February 4, following the revocation of President’s Rule. Earlier, he was appointed a Cabinet Minister in the second ministry led by N Biren Singh after the BJP secured a second consecutive victory in the 2022 Assembly elections.

He served as a minister from March 20, 2022, until President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025.

Yumnam Khemchand Singh: From Sports to Politics

A sportsman-turned-politician, Singh founded the Assam Taekwondo Association and has been closely associated with the institutional development of the sport in India’s Northeast.

He is a former Vice President of the Taekwondo Federation of India and recently received the 5th-Dan Black Belt in traditional Taekwondo from the Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation in Seoul, South Korea.

Singh earlier served as Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2022 and was elected twice from the Singjamei constituency in Imphal West district as a BJP candidate in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections. During his ministerial tenure, he handled key portfolios including Municipal Administration and Housing Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Education.

A member of the majority Meitei community, Singh is regarded within the BJP as a grassroots organiser with strong organisational credentials. Before entering active politics, he was engaged in business and began practising Taekwondo in his youth. Considered a non-polarising figure, he is viewed as acceptable across party factions during Manipur’s ongoing political transition.