May 3, 2023 – Ethnic clashes erupt between Kuki‑Zo and Meitei communities, killing over 250 people and displacing around 60,000, igniting a cycle of violence that later fuels demands for buffer zones and political settlements [1][2][11].

May 15, 2023 – An 18‑year‑old woman is abducted and gang‑raped by members of the radical Meitei group Arambai Tenggol in Imphal, an atrocity that later becomes a rallying point for Kuki community calls for justice and highlights severe under‑reporting of gender‑based violence in the conflict [2].

Early 2023 (post‑May) – A Tribal Solidarity March organized by Kuki groups protests the Meitei demand for Scheduled‑Tribe status, intensifying communal tensions and contributing to a death toll that exceeds 260 by the end of 2025 [11].

Aug 12, 2024 – The sixth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly concludes, after which the assembly remains inactive as ethnic violence escalates, setting the stage for President’s Rule the following year [5][8].

Feb 9, 2025 – Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigns amid mounting Meitei‑Kuki violence, creating a political vacuum that leads to the imposition of President’s Rule four days later [4][10][8].

Feb 13, 2025 – The Union government imposes President’s Rule in Manipur, suspending the 60‑member assembly and centralising authority while security concerns persist and displaced persons remain largely in camps [10][8][9].

Aug 5, 2025 – Parliament passes a six‑month extension of President’s Rule, allowing central administration to continue until Feb 13, 2026; Kuki‑Zo groups issue a Jan 13 resolution demanding a written Union‑Territory‑type settlement before the assembly term ends in Feb 2027 [9][10].

Dec 8, 2025 – A Meitei MLA from Singjamei visits a Kuki relief camp in Ukhrul, urging inmates “With Christmas approaching, we all should pray for the return of peace in the State” and signalling the BJP’s reconciliation effort [12].

Jan 29, 2026 – Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh files a petition in the Manipur High Court seeking dissolution of the 12th Assembly, arguing the Governor’s Feb 9, 2025 order violated Article 174(1) by cancelling a scheduled Feb 11 sitting [8].

Jan 2‑5, 2026 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs two security‑review meetings on Manipur, assessing force deployment, displaced‑person rehabilitation, and highway movement as the one‑year President’s Rule deadline approaches [10].

Jan 14, 2026 – Senior BJP leaders meet in Guwahati with Manipur MLAs to negotiate a coalition that can command a majority, while Kuki‑Zo groups continue to refuse participation without a written settlement promise [10].

Feb 2, 2026 – The BJP parliamentary board appoints national general secretary Tarun Chugh as central observer for the upcoming Legislature Party leader election, a step toward ending President’s Rule [9].

Feb 3, 2026 – Manipur BJP legislators elect Yumnam Khemchand Singh as Legislature Party leader, clearing the path for him to become chief minister; sources anticipate Nemcha Kipgen becoming the first woman Kuki‑Zo Deputy Chief Minister, while Kuki‑Zo MLA Paolienlal Haokip warns “without justice for alleged ethnic cleansing and a written settlement pledge, Kuki‑Zo representatives cannot take part” [7][9].

Feb 4, 2026 – Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a Meitei veteran politician, stands poised to assume the chief minister’s office after being elected BJP Legislature Party leader, positioning himself as a bridge to Kuki‑Zo villages he visited in Dec 2025 [6][7].

Feb 4, 2026 – Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen takes her oath virtually at Manipur Bhawan in New Delhi, remains stationed in Kangpokpi without a portfolio, and declares she joined the government “in good faith, not for personal ambition,” pledging to serve “with a sense of long‑term responsibility” [3][4].

Feb 5, 2026 – The seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly convenes, marking the first sitting since President’s Rule was lifted; Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla summons the house, and Yumnam Khemchand Singh has already been sworn in as chief minister the previous day [5][4].

Jan 2026 – The 18‑year‑old victim of the May 15, 2023 gang‑rape dies after a prolonged health decline, prompting Kuki community groups to demand accountability and underscoring that the CBI has made no arrests or filed a charge sheet despite a Supreme Court‑ordered status report [2].

Feb 19, 2026 – Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen defends her participation in the new government, telling The Hindu that she “joined the government in good faith, not for personal ambition,” and reiterates that buffer zones “may need to continue where wounds remain deep” [3][1].

Feb 20, 2026 – Kipgen urges that buffer zones between Meitei and Kuki‑Zo communities stay in place, emphasizing “our shared spaces, tribal heritage, cultural values, languages, faith traditions, social institutions, and our future, especially the future of our children” as essential for healing [1].

Feb 2027 (deadline) – Kuki‑Zo civil‑society groups set a deadline of February 2027, the end of the current assembly term, for the state and central governments to deliver a written Union‑Territory‑type arrangement with a legislature, a condition they deem essential for any lasting peace settlement [9].