KOHIMA, 2 Mar: Nagaland political stalwart and its longest serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio is set to assume office as chief minister for a fifth consecutive term after a convincing win for his party and its ally, the BJP.
Together, the two parties have secured 33 seats in the 60-member Nagaland assembly.
The septuagenarian leader has with this victory broken the record of veteran leader SC Jamir, who had helmed the Northeastern state thrice.
Rio personally defeated Congress’ Seyievelie Sachu, a greenhorn in the political arena, in the Northern Angami-II constituency, in the process helping emasculate the grand old party in the state where at one time it was entrenched. (PTI)