Neiphiu Rio sworn in as Nagaland CM for 5th term

He was the Chief Minister of Nagaland for four terms between 2003 and 2018, making him the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served four consecutive terms

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the 5th term today. Meanwhile, former Nagaland CM and Naga People’s Front (NPF) leader Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers of the state.

They were administered the oath by Governor La Ganesan at Capital Cultural hall, Kohima along with 8 other ministers from BJP and NDPP.

This will be Neiphiu Rio’s 5th time as the Chief Minister of Nagaland. He was the Chief Minister of Nagaland for four terms between 2003 and 2018, making him the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served four consecutive terms.

“Honoured and humbled to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland in the presence of the Hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi ji, Hon’ble @HMOIndia Shri @AmitShah ji, Shri @JPNadda and other dignitaries and well-wishers in attendance,” Neiphiu Rio tweeted after taking oath as Nagaland CM for 5th term.

Honoured and humbled to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland in the presence of the Hon'ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi ji, Hon'ble @HMOIndia Shri @AmitShah ji, Shri @JPNadda and other dignitaries and well-wishers in attendance. pic.twitter.com/XDWeWFj6lq

— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) March 7, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam CM and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, Manipur CM N Biren Singh, Sikkim CM PS Tamang, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, Assam Minister Ranjit Dass, BJP President JP Nadda and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale were present at the swearing-in ceremony of Neiphiu Rio led government in the state.

In Nagaland, the BJP and NDPP alliance swept back into power in the recently concluded Assembly elections, winning 37 of the 60 seats. NDPP won 25 seats and BJP 12.

Neiphiu Rio, 72, contested and won from Northern Angami-II defeating Seyievilie Sachu of the Congress by a margin of 15,824 votes.

Rio has been winning the Northern Angami II seat since 1989.

In 1989, 1993 and 1998, Rio won the seat as a Congress candidate. In 2002, 2008 and 2013 he won the seat on a NPF ticket. In 2018, he was elected unopposed. He established the NDPP in 2017 after splitting from the Naga People’s Front (NPF).

Rio also served as the Home Minister of the state in the SC Jamir government from 1998 till 2002.

After that, Rio joined NPF which joined hands with other Naga regionalist parties and the state branch of the BJP under his leadership to form the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), a coalition which won the 2003 state Assembly.

By Lipika Roy

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