Nongthombam Biren Singh, the CM Manipur and a BJP contestant, filed his nomination papers on Saturday, eyeing re-election for the fifth time from the Heingang Assembly constituency in Imphal East district.

Between 2002 and 2017, the 61-year-old Congress-turned-BJP figure was elected to the state Assembly for the fourth time in a row. He was joined by Manipur State BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi when he filed his candidacy to returning officer Elangbam Amuthoi Khanganba.

Singh, who was enlisted into the Border Security Force (BSF) as a paramilitary force for his outstanding football performance, tweeted: "It gives me great joy to file my nomination as a BJP candidate for Heingang AC at the Returning Officer's Office today. Smt A Sharda Devi Ji, President of the BJP in Manipur, joined me. Best of luck to all BJP candidates who have filed nomination papers for the next election."

Singh was first elected to the Manipur Assembly in 2002 as a Democratic Revolutionary People's Party candidate from the Heingang Assembly constituency. He previously stated that he is certain that the BJP would maintain power by capturing at least 40 seats in the 60-member Assembly. The next year, he was elected to Congress, and in 2007, he was re-elected as a Congress nominee.

In 2012, he was re-elected to the Assembly for the third time, and in October 2016, he resigned from the State Assembly and the Congress party to join the BJP. Biren Singh was sworn in as Chief Minister of Manipur on March 15, 2017, after being re-elected to the State Assembly for the fourth time from the same Heingang Assembly constituency.

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