Neiphiu Rio and Mukul Sangma were today sworn in as chief ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively. Whereas 63-year old Rio, leader of Nagaland People's Front (NPF), on Tuesday took oath as chief minister of Nagaland for a third straight term, it was second time in a row for 47-year old Sangma, leader of Congress Party.
Nagaland governor Nikhil Kumar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rio and 11 other ministers at a function at Raj Bhavan. In Shillong, the oath was administered to Sangma by Meghalaya governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary. However, unlike Rio, Sangma took the oath alone and is expected to finalise his council of ministers later this week.
Assembly polls in Nagaland and Meghalaya were conducted on February 23 to elect representatives for the two 60-member legislative houses. Whereas the NPF had swept the polls in Nagaland by winning 37, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya by winning 29 seats, just two short of half mark. Sangma had been in office since April 20, 2010 when he replaced veteran Congress leader D.D. Lapang. Rio had first become the chief minister of Nagaland in March 6, 2003 and had been in office since then. Today he created a kind of history in Nagaland politics by becoming the first chief minister to be sworn-in for three consecutive terms.
Swearing-in ceremony in Tripura, which also went for polls in February, will be held tomorrow. The Left Front had a clean sweep in Tripura by winning 50 seats in the 60-member house. Outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar was yesterday unanimously elected as the leader of the Left Front.
