July 23, 2025: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), led by its President, MLA K. Meghachandra, has sought constitutional clarity, questioning the legal and constitutional status of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly through a memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor A.K. Bhalla.
The Congress delegation urges the Governor to clarify whether the current State Assembly is still alive, has ceased to exist, or should be constitutionally deemed dissolved since midnight of February 11, 2025, owing to the violation of Article 174(1) of the Constitution.
The MPCC argued that the mandatory six-month gap between two sittings of the Assembly had lapsed, as the last sitting was on August 12, 2024, and the scheduled session on February 10, 2025, was abruptly revoked by the Governor’s order on February 9, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
The draft memorandum raises five key questions: whether the Assembly remains constitutionally valid or has lost its legal existence; whether the Governor is now empowered to dissolve the House under Article 174(2)(b); and whether any attempt to summon a session for floor testing under the same Assembly term would amount to a violation of Article 174(1).
Citing landmark Supreme Court judgments including Nabam Rebia and S.R. Bommai, the MPCC claimed that the Governor’s action to revoke the scheduled session lacked constitutional authority and violated the principle that a live legislature must meet every six months.
The Congress party called the situation a potential constitutional breakdown and urged the Governor to respond in the interest of upholding the rule of law and the sanctity of the Constitution.
