Guwahati: BJP leader N. Biren Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Manipur in Imphal on Wednesday.
The oath of office was administered by governor Najma Heptulla. Eight other ministers were also sworn in, taking the strength of the BJP-led government to nine. Mr Yumnan Joykumar Singh of the National People’s Party (NPP) was appointed deputy Chief Minister. Mr Joykumar, elected from Uripok Assembly seat, is a former director-general of police from the state.
Three other NPP MLAs also found a place in the ministry, which included Losi Dikho from the Naga People’s Front (NPF). He was elected from the Mao Assembly segment.
Both the NPP and NPF have four MLAs each. Manipur governor Najma Heptulla, who administered the oath to the new ministers, told reporters that she was aware that the Congress had emerged as the single largest party but it was not “incumbent on a governor” to necessarily call the single largest party.
“The responsibility of the governor is also to see who has a majority, who will be working for the interest of the state with stability,” she said at Raj Bhavan.
Mr Singh, in his first interaction with the media soon after taking the oath, claimed that more MLAs would soon join the ruling alliance.
