NAGALAND: NEIPHIU RIO TAKES OATH AS CHIEF MINISTER

Nagaland’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party leader Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Y Patton took oath as the deputy chief minister. Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju attended the swearing-in ceremony in Kohima. On March 6, Nagaland Governor PB Acharya had appointed Rio the chief minister. Acharya had asked Rio to prove his government’s majority in the Legislative Assembly by March 16. The NDPP won 18 seats in the Assembly elections, and is backed by the BJP, the Janata Dal (United) and an independent MLA. The Naga People’s Front, which led the previous state government, and its ally the National People’s Party managed to win a total of 29 seats, just two seats short of the halfway mark.