PM Modi to attend swearing-in of new govts in Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the swearing-in-ceremony of new Chief Ministers and their ministers in Nagaland and Meghalaya on Tuesday and that of Tripura on Wednesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda and a few Union ministers are likely to attend these events in three state capitals.

Official and BJP sources said that the swearing-in-ceremony of the new Meghalaya Chief Minister and his council of ministers would be held in Shillong at 11 am on Tuesday, while the swearing-in in Nagaland will take place in Kohima at 1.45 pm.

The new Chief Minister and ministers of Tripura would be administered the oath by the Governor in Agartala on Wednesday.

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader and caretaker Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), met the Central BJP leaders in New Delhi on Sunday, ahead of the formation of new Nagaland government.

The ruling NDPP (25 seats), along with its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (12 seats) retained power in Nagaland for a second straight term by winning 37 seats together in the 60-member Assembly.

Rio, who on Friday was unanimously elected as the leader of the NDPP legislative party, submitted his resignation letter to Governor La Ganesan on Saturday.

In Meghalaya, National People’s Party (NPP) Chief Conrad K Sangma has reiterated that he has letters of support from 32 MLAs and claimed to have received an invitation from the Governor to form the next government. Sangma said that he has support of 32 MLAs, which is one more than the required number to form the government.

The NPP in the February 27 assembly polls secured 26 seats while the BJP, which got two seats, extended its support to the NPP led government. Sangma, Chief Minister since 2018, submitted to the Governor a letter of support with signatures of 32 MLAs — 26 NPP, two BJP, two legislators from Hill State People’s Democratic Party and two independents.

In Tripura, sources said that outgoing Chief Minister Manik Saha would hold the Chief Minister’s post once again.

A meeting of newly elected MLAs and leaders was held in Agartala on Sunday. BJP’s northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, Manik Saha, BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee, and Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik among others were present in the meeting.

In the February 16 Assembly polls, the BJP won 32 seats, one more than the magic figure of 31 in the 60-member Assembly while its ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura got one.

The tribal-based Tipra Motha Party, which contested 42 seats on its debut, emerged as the second-largest party securing 13 seats. The CPI-M won 11 seats while the Congress bagged three.

In the 2018 polls, the BJP had won 36 seats, and ally IPFT eight seats while the CPI-M had secured 16.