Neiphiu Rio, the leader of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, is set to become the chief minister of Nagaland once again. Rio handed over his resignation as the chief minister of the previous term to the governor of the state, La Ganesan, and claimed to form a new government with the support of his party and its pre-poll alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In the recent state assembly elections, the National Democratic Progressive Party won 25 seats out of the 60 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party won 12 seats. This brought the total number of seats of the alliance partners to 37, which is more than the required number of 31 seats needed to form the government as per the data by the Election Commission of India.
With no other contenders for the position of the chief minister, Neiphiu Rio is all set to take the position and become the longest-serving chief minister of the state. This year’s election also witnessed a historic moment as two female candidates, Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse, were elected as legislators for the first time in Nagaland’s history. They defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats, respectively.
Rio is scheduled to be sworn in as the chief minister of Nagaland on March 7, 2023. His return to power is expected to bring stability and continuity to the state’s government. The people of Nagaland have expressed hope that the new government will work towards the development and progress of the state.
