Neiphiu Rio becomes Nagaland CM for 5th term

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 7

National People’s Party (NPP) president Conrad K Sangma was sworn in as the Meghalaya Chief Minister along with 11 members of his Council of Ministers, while in Nagaland the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio took oath as the CM for the fifth term.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the oath-taking ceremonies in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong and Nagaland’s Kohima.

Sangma, who became the CM of the northeastern state for the second time in a row, is reported to have said his focus would be on sectors that could provide large-scale employment.

Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, both from the NPP, took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers, underlining the strength of the regional party in the rainbow coalition, which has come to power again. Tynsong was the Deputy CM in the previous government as well.

BJP’s Alexander Laloo Hek, United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Paul Lyngdoh and Kyrmen Shylla, and Shakliar Warjri of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) also took oath as ministers.

In all, eight MLAs from the NPP, two from the UDP and one each from the BJP and the HSPDP were administered the oath of office and secrecy as ministers by Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhavan in Shillong.

Modi later tweeted: “Congratulations to those who took oath. Best wishes to them in their pursuit of taking Meghalaya to new heights of growth.”

Meanwhile, in Nagaland, 72-year-old Neiphiu Rio was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor La Ganesan at the Capital Cultural Hall in Kohima. NDPP’s TR Zeliang and BJP’s Yanthungo Patton were sworn in as the Deputy Chief Ministers of the state, while other members of the Rio Cabinet also took oath.

Besides PM Modi, Shah and JP Nadda, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale were present at the oath-taking ceremony. The Rio’s Cabinet has seven ministers from the NDPP and five from the BJP.

2 deputy CMs in Meghalaya

• Conrad K Sangma became the Meghalaya CM for the second time in a row
• He said his focus would be on sectors that could provide large-scale employment for Meghalaya’s youth
• Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, both from the NPP, took oath as Meghalaya Deputy CMs

Longest-serving CM

• Neiphiu Rio first became the CM of Nagaland in 2003, leading the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government of the Naga People’s Front and the BJP
• He again became the CM in 2008 and in 2013, but resigned in 2014 and went to the Lok Sabha, before once again becoming the Chief Minister in 2018
• With his fifth term, Rio has become the longest-serving CM of Nagaland

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