Gaikhangam Gangmei is a veteran Indian politician and a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) from Manipur. With a political career spanning over four decades, he has held some of the highest administrative and party positions in the state, including serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur and the President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). He is also recognized for his significant role at the national level as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
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Early Life and Background Born on November 12, 1950, in Gaidimjang, Khoupum valley in the Tamenglong district of Manipur, Gaikhangam belongs to the Rongmei Naga tribe. He is the youngest of eight siblings born to the late Khangsillung and Lansillung. At the age of 12, he and his mother adopted Christianity. He is married to Adiliu Gangmei, and they have four sons and two daughters. His deep roots in the Tamenglong district have been instrumental in shaping his grassroots connection and long-standing political influence in the hill regions of Manipur.[1][4]
Rise in State Politics and Electoral Journey Gaikhangam's electoral journey is closely tied to the 54-Nungba (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly Constituency. He first entered the Manipur Legislative Assembly by winning the Nungba seat in 1980 during the 3rd Manipur Legislative Assembly elections.[1]
His popularity in the constituency allowed him to retain or reclaim the seat multiple times over the next few decades. He was successfully elected as the Nungba MLA in 1984, 1990, 2002, and 2017.[1] In the 2017 assembly elections, he defeated his Bharatiya Janata Party rival by a comfortable margin to retain his stronghold. His long unbroken streak in the constituency faced a pause during the 2022 Manipur Assembly elections when he lost the Nungba seat.[3]
Extensive Ministerial Portfolios Throughout his career, Gaikhangam has been entrusted with diverse and crucial ministerial portfolios under various state governments:
1983 to 1984: Minister of State for Education, Social Welfare, Arts & Culture, and Sports.
1985 to 1988: Minister of State with Independent Charge for Tribal Development and District Council.
1988 to 1990: Minister of State for the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD).
1992 to 1993: Cabinet Minister for Forests.
1994: Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, and Soil Conservation.
2002 to 2004: Cabinet Minister for Works.
2004 to 2006: Cabinet Minister for Power, Health, and Information & Public Relations.[1][4]
Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur The pinnacle of his administrative career came when he was appointed as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur. He served in this capacity from March 7, 2012, to March 15, 2017, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.[1] During this tenure, he played a critical role in state administration, frequently managing high-stakes security and political issues in a region historically affected by insurgency. His role required immense resilience, highlighted by an incident in February 2017 when his security convoy was ambushed by militants ahead of the assembly elections.[5]
Leadership in the Indian National Congress Beyond his administrative roles, Gaikhangam has been a central pillar of the Congress party's organizational structure in the Northeast. He has served multiple terms as the President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), first taking up the mantle in September 2005 and later holding the position again in 2019.[1]
His influence extends heavily to the national level. In 2018, Gaikhangam made history by becoming the first politician from Manipur to be inducted into the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest executive decision-making body of the Indian National Congress.[3]
Footnotes: [1] Wikipedia Contributors, "Gaikhangam Gangmei," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [2] Our Neta Database, "Gaikhangam, INC MLA from Nungba," Biographical Profile. [3] TV9 Gujarati / TV9 Telugu, Election Results Data 2022, Candidate Profile for Gaikhangam Gangmei. [4] Alchetron, "Gaikhangam Gangmei," The Free Social Encyclopedia. [5] DNA India / India.com News Reports (February 2017), coverage of the militant ambush on the Deputy Chief Minister's convoy.