In what might make the BJP-led coalition government vulnerable to attacks, an ally Naga People's Front (NPF), which has 4 MLAs in the 60-seater Manipur Assembly has decided to withdraw its support to the BJP-led government in the state.

The decision was taken in a meeting held at the party’s central in office in Kohima and decided to withdraw support in principle from the BJP led Manipur government.

After an intense deliberation and review meeting with the party functionaries and the NPF MLAs of Manipur State, the NPF party has decided in principle to pull out our 4 NPF MLAs from the BJP led Govt. in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh soon after the LS election is completed.

— TR Zeliang (@TRZeliang) May 18, 2019

Senior NPF leader and former Manipur chief minister TR Zeliang in a statement on Twitter said the decision was taken in the review meeting with party office bearers and NPF MLAs. 

“After an intense deliberation and review meeting with the party functionaries and the NPF MLAs of Manipur State, the NPF party has decided in principle to pull out our 4 NPF MLAs from the BJP led Govt in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh soon after the LS election is completed”.

The NPF’s decision comes neither as a surprise nor does it pose an immediate threat to the BJP’s coalition government in the state as it has 31 legislators. Eight out of 28 Congress MLAs who won in the 2017 Assembly election, defected to the BJP, reducing its tally to 21.

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The other parties in the ruling coalition are National People's Party (NPP) with 4 MLAs, one legislator each from Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and one Independent.

This decision at this juncture is necessitated due to the indifferent attitude of the BJP towards us, its coalition partner in Manipur and also in the State of Nagaland. Further implementation of this decision will be finalised after the Election process.

— TR Zeliang (@TRZeliang) May 18, 2019

It seems that the party’s threat issued back in 2018 wasn’t taken seriously by the BJP. In February 2018, Morung Makunga, the state president of the Naga People’s Front in Manipur, declared that the party will withdraw from the government.