NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio takes oath as Chief Minister of Nagaland for fifth time

Kohima (Nagaland): Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was on Tuesday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, BJP President JP Nadda and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma witness the oath-taking ceremony in Kohima.

Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton also took oath as Deputy chief ministers of Nagaland.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party retained power in the Nagaland election, with the two parties having secured 37 seats in the 60-member assembly, as per the data by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

PM Modi attends the swearing-in ceremony of #NeiphiuRio & the Nagaland cabinet- WATCH.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, and BJP national president JP Nadda are also present at the event.

Tune in: https://t.co/01G4Ar9gvW pic.twitter.com/1GYsT6YJ9X

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 7, 2023

Rio won the Northern Angami-II Assembly constituency, trouncing Seyievilie Sachu of the Congress by a mammoth margin of 15,824 votes. He bagged a total of 17,045 votes, which comes to 92.87 per cent of the total votes polled in the seat.

Neiphiu Rio sworn in as Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth time

PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, BJP President JP Nadda and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma witness the oath-taking ceremony in Kohima pic.twitter.com/e9S2gohQoR

— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2023

Notably, a history was scripted in Nagaland when the state elected its first women legislators in its 60 years of statehood. The state, which has had 13 Assemblies so far, never had a woman MLA before Thursday’s result.

The two women lawmakers – Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the ruling NDPP defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats respectively.

The Northeast state saw a triangular contest as Congress and CPIM, which have been arch rivals for years, stitched a pre-poll alliance to defeat the ruling BJP.