Neiphiu Rio-led People’s Democratic Alliance government will be sworn in at Kohima local ground on Thursday. This will be Rio’s fourth tenure as Nagaland Chief Minister. He was the Chief Minister of Naga People’s Front (NPF)-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) for three consecutive terms since 2003. He was elected as a Lok Sabha member in 2014 and vacated the post of Chief Minister. He resigned as MP after he was elected to the Nagaland Assembly uncontested in the just concluded Nagaland Assembly elections.
With the support of lone JD (U) MLA and an Independent, the alliance has the strength of 32 members in the House of 60. BJP has 12 MLAs while its ally NDPP 18. The NDPP and BJP formed the PDA after the election results were out on March 3.
However, in a major setback to the PDA on the eve of the swearing-in of the new government National People’s Party (NPP) which gave a letter of support to the NDPP-BJP alliance on Tuesday withdrew its support on Wednesday. The NPP begged two seats in the just concluded Nagaland elections.
Addressing a meeting of AHODs and HODs at Secretariat conference hall in Kohima on Wednesday, Nagaland Chief Secretary in-charge Temjen Toy said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, other Union ministers and Chief Ministers from neibouring states will attend the public swearing-in ceremony.
He also informed all AHODs and HODs to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
TR Zeliang stepped down as Nagaland Chief Minister along with Council of Ministers on Tuesday afternoon.
“After coming to know of the decision of BJP severing ties with NPF, I am submitting the resignation of the Council of Ministers headed by me today with a request to accept the same with immediate effect,” Zeliang said in his resignation letter submitted to Nagaland Governor PB Acharya.
The NDPP had unanimously elected Rio as the NDPP Legislature Party leader at a meeting in Kohima on March 5.