Neiphu Rio, Conrad Sangma to be sworn-in as CMs today, PM to attend

Rio will become the Chief Minister for the record fifth time after he is sworn-in later in the day at around 1.30 pm. Sangma will take oath as Meghalaya Chief Minister for the second time.

Kohima:Outgoing Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will be sworn-in as CM of the north eastern state for the record fifth term with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance at around 1.30 pm on Tuesday, officials said. Modi is also slated to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Meghalaya where outgoing Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will be taking oath as the chief minister for the second time. Party sources indicated that Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda will also mark their presence during the swearing-in ceremony.

For the first time, central ministers will participate in the oath taking ceremony of a Nagaland government. The state council of ministers is likely to be sworn-in in the Rio-led NDPP-BJP government. The event will take place in the indoors amid tight security arrangements at the Capital Cultural Hall here. The 2018 swearing-in of the Rio-led coalition was held as a massive open public swearing-in ceremony at the Local Ground.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, Manipur CM N Biren Singh, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang, and Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale will also be attending the low-key swearing-in ceremony. Modi will also be attending the swearing-in of Meghalaya and Tripura, both part of the BJP's coalition, during his two day trip to north east.

Conrad Sangma led coalition to take oath in Meghalaya

In neighboring Meghalaya, outgoing Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will be taking oath along with other cabinet members on Tuesday. The NPP leader has formed an alliance with the support of 45 MLAs, including two from the saffron party. The NPP had won 26 seats in the assembly elections.

In Nagaland, the Rio-saffron combine won 37 of the total 60 seats in the Feb. 27 Legislative Assembly election, which was the lone pre-poll alliance in the state. Rio's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) bagged 25 seats and it was 7 seats more than the previous term while there was no change in the number of seats for the right wing party which held on to its 12 seats, enabling Rio to romp back to power.

Despite having got the clear mandate in the counting which was held on March 2, Rio staked claims to form the government in a meeting with Governor La Ganesan at around 6 pm on Monday. Rio met the Governor after the NDPP and BJP leaders submitted their joint declaration for the government formation and support to him. The BJP Legislature Party unanimously re-elected Yanthungo Patton as its leader and he will be sworn-in as Rio's deputy.