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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Mar 15, 2017, 03:34 PM IST
The first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took office in Manipur on Wednesday. The oath taking ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan in Imphal.
Governor Najma Heptulla delivered the oath of office to CM N Biren Singh (BJP), Deputy CM Y Joykumar (NPP), Th Biswajit (BJP), Karam Shyam (LJP), L Jayantakumar (NPP), Letpao Haokip (NPP), N Koyisi (NPP), Th Shyamkumar (AITC) and L Dikho (NPF).
This comes after a dramatic weekend, which saw a tussle for power between Congress and BJP. Heptulla on Monday invited Biren Singh, who was unanimously elected the leader of the 21-member BJP legislature party, to form the government.
The invitation to Singh came on a day when four members of the Naga People's Front, an NDA ally, met the Governor and declared their support to BJP for government formation.
After Goa, Manipur would be the second state among the five where elections were held recently where the BJP would form a government despite not being the single largest party by cobbling together a post-poll alliance. Congress, which has 28 MLAs, led the tally. Okram Ibobi Singh, its Chief Minister for three consecutive terms, had resigned and staked claim to form the government, but numbers were on BJP's side.
However, Congress accused BJP of stealing the mandate in Goa and Manipur, saying that the saffron party has "cheated" and heavily misused money to siphon powers in the two states, where the grand old party emerged as the largest party post Assembly Elections. Congress leader Meem Afzal told ANI, "There is nothing new in what the BJP has done, as they have opted for this measure many a times in the past. They first show that they are very honest but end up cheating. This is a political art which the BJP has mastered. The way they have resorted to cheating in Manipur and Goa is appalled."
(With agency inputs)
