Kuki-Zo lawmaker Nemcha Kipgen became Manipur's first Kuki-Zo Deputy CM and took the oath virtually from New Delhi. Her appointment triggered protests from Kuki civil society groups, who are opposing her joining the BJP-led government under Meitei CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh. An ethnic conflict erupted between the two communities in 2023, leading to the imposition of the President's Rule.