N Biren Singh was sworn in as Manipur chief minister for the second consecutive term at Raj Bhawan, Imphal on Monday. Manipur Governor La Ganesan administered the oaths of office and secrecy to Nongthombam Biren Singh, leader of the BJP Legislative Party, Manipur as Chief Minister.
"Consequent upon the election of the Leader of BJP Legislative Party on March 20, 2022, the leader staked claim to form a new government and the governor admistered the oath-taking ceremony of N Biren Singh as the chief minister," an official release stated.
Thereafter, on the recommendation of the Chief Minister Designate, the Governor also sworn-in another five MLAs as ministers for the State of Manipur on the same day. They are Thongam Biswajit Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Konthoujam Govindas Singh, Nemcha Kipgen and Awangbow Newmai, the release added.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by BJP national president JP Nadda, Manipur BJP president A Sharda Devi, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhumik, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton among others.
Soon after his swearing in, Biren told mediapersons that his new government will deliver a corruption free, drug free and violence free Manipur. He had also said that "fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Manipur under PM Narendra Modi Ji’s mantra of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Sabka Viswas aur Sabka Prayas will be our top priority".
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Meanwhile, three political parties namely Janata Dal-United with six members, Naga People’s Front with 5 members and Kuki People’s Alliance with two members and two Independents extended their unconditional support to BJP, the official release stated.
Biren won the recent election to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and retained the Heingang assembly seat for the record fifth time, while his party, BJP won 32 seats of the 60 state Assembly seats in the general election 2022, leaving rest of the parties with single digit win.
Biren defeated his rival INC candidate P Sharatchandra by 18,271 votes. Of the 31,596 total votes recieved in Heingang constituency, Biren got 24,814 votes (78.54 per cent), while Sharatchandra secured 6,543 votes (20.71 per cent).
In the first term, Biren created history as he became the first BJP chief minister in the first BJP-led coalition government in Manipur that succeeded the Congress government led by former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh that lasted for 15 years.
Biren has been winning the Heingang Assembly seat since 2002 when he joined politics as member of the Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party. He retained the seat in 2007, contesting on the Indian National Congress ticket after joining the party in 2003. He continued as state Cabinet Minister till February 2012. Biren, however, quit the Congress party in 2016, and joined the BJP on October 17, 2016 and later became the spokesperson and co-convener of the Election Management Committee of BJP Manipur Pradesh. In 2017, he retained the Heingang seat for the record fourth time on BJP ticket and became the 12th Chief Minister of Manipur. He won the floor test in the floor of the Assembly with the support of 33 MLAs of BJP and its allies.
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