Neiphiu Rio has taken charge as Chief Minister of Nagaland on Thursday. BJP president Amit Shah was present as Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Rio and 11 others in the State capital Kohima.
This is the fourth stint for Mr. Rio as Chief Minister, but the first as leader of the regional Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) that had forged a pre-poll alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP leader Y. Patton was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.
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The 60-member Nagaland House allows a maximum 12 Ministers. The new Ministry includes six from BJP, four from NDPP, the lone Janata Dal (United) legislator and an independent. Mr. Rio was with the Naga People’s Front (NPF) when he led the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government with the BJP and other parties thrice earlier. He joined the NDPP before the Assembly elections on February 27.
The NPF won 26 seats this time while the NDPP-BJP alliance won 30 seats. The latter mustered the support of JD(U) and the independent to stake claim to form the government last week.
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Should prove majority
“This is a whole new challenge despite the experience of running the government earlier,” Mr Rio said after the swearing-in. Mr. Rio has to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly by March 16.
Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju attended the event.