MNF chief Zoramthanga takes oath as Mizoram CM

Aizawl, Dec 15: Mizo National Front (MNF) President Zoramthang, who led his party to a massive victory in the December 7 assembly elections, was sworn-in as the chief minister of Mizoram on Saturday.

Mizoram for the first time will witness a swearing-in ceremony amid reading of Bible verses and prayers at Raj Bhawan's circular lawn in Aizawl on Saturday as the Mizo National Front(MNF) forms the next government in the Christian majority state.

There will be a special "Hallelujah Chorus" by a local Leprosy group during the swearing-in ceremony.

Rev Lalhmingthanga, a senior Christian leader and chairman of the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), conglomerate of leaders of 16 major churches, would lead the Bible reading

The Bible reading ceremony will be held after the singing of the National Anthem.

Chief Ministers of other north eastern states have been invited to attend the ceremony. The new council of Ministers in Mizoram is going to swear in ceremonially after a few hours.

The 74-year-old Zoramthanga, who was Chief Minister for two terms from 1998-2008, had staked claim to form the government on Tuesday evening after his party won 26 Assembly seats in the 40-member Mizoram House.

Outgoing Congress Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had submitted his resignation an hour before Mr Zoramthanga had staked the claim. The current term of the Assembly expires on Friday.

MNF President Zoramthanga has been nominated as the leader of the legislative party by its newly elected legislators. This will be for the third term that the MNF is forming government in Mizoram and after a gap of 10 years.

Earlier, it has run governments during 1998 to 2008 for two consecutive terms and was headed by Zoramthanga as Chief Minister.

The veteran leader started his political career in 1966 when he joined the underground movement. In 1969, he became the secretary of the president - Pu Laldenga for the next seven years. When the Mizo National Front came to power in 1987, Zoramthanga was appointed as the in-charge of the Finance and Education Departments.

He was subsequently promoted as the party's president after the death of Laldenga. In 1998 Assembly elections, the party won the polls under the leadership of Zoramthanga, who became the chief minister of the state.

The Mizo National Front (MNF) got simple majority in Mizoram assembly by bagging 26 seats in the 90 member assembly. The regional party ousted the Congress in the Northeastern state. The Congress had been in power in Mizoram for the past two terms.