Zeliang to swear in as new CM tomorrow
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Dimapur, May 22 2014 : T.R Zeliang is to be sworn-in as the next chief minister of Nagaland on Saturday (May 24) in the state capital Kohima.

Sources said 'Team Zeliang' is being finalised and the "final touch" will be done on Friday in consultation with the outgoing chief minister Neiphiu Rio.

MP-elect Neiphiu Rio arrived at Kohima from Delhi this afternoon and he is all set to submit his resignation paper on Friday (May 23) .

Sources said though Rio is leaving the state politics, his influence will be very much felt in the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government in which the NPF is the principal constituent.

Rio's role on the formation of 'Team T.R Zeliang' is very much crucial and Neiphiu Rio will be seen by NPF legislators as their 'mentor', sources added.

Meanwhile, Rio's wave is gradually building up hype in Nagaland after the latter had given a speech at the Central Hall of the Parliament along with Prime Minister-Elect Narendra Modi on May 20.Just after Narendra Modi finished his speech, BJP patriarch L K Advai introduced Neiphiu Rio to the gathering where NDA leaders and chiefs of the alliance where present saying, "It is fortunate NDA for the first time has an MP from Nagaland," and invited him to speak on the occasion.

The impromptu speech of Neiphiu Rio reportedly enthralled the gathering with Prime Minister-Elect Narendra Modi nodding in affirmation.

Rio had said that 'better days are ahead for the North East region" with the NDA returning to power.

Rio had also told the gathering that "I feel I can take bigger responsibility for the Northeastern states in building the nation, the mighty India".

"With this massive mandate to NDA and particularly endorsing the leadership of Modiji we are committed to the alliance and I hope that the country would turn back to the North East people, their problems", Neiphiu Rio added in his speech in the Parliament House.

Seeing the rapport between Neiphiu Rio and the BJP leaders, speculations are rife now that Neiphiu Rio is likely to get a ministerial berth in the Modi ministry.

Sometime ago a picture of Rio and Modi embracing each other was carried in newspapers showing how intimate and comfortable the two leaders are.

Sources said Neiphiu Rio took the decision to contest the Lok Sabha poll early last year only after meeting Narendra Modi.

"Modiji had assured us something good and so that's how we had decided to contest the Lok Sabha poll in the interest of the North East region," said an aide of Neiphiu Rio to Newmai News Network.

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