Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Governor of Manipur, was sworn in on Monday as the 22nd Governor of Nagaland, taking additional charge following the demise of La Ganesan. The oath was administered by Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Ashutosh Kumar, at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan, Kohima.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers TR Zeliang and Y Patton, ministers, legislators, senior officials, and dignitaries. Bhalla also inspected a ceremonial guard of honour before interacting with the state cabinet led by Rio.
A reception followed the ceremony, where political leaders, tribal bodies, church representatives, and civil society organisations extended greetings to the new constitutional head of the state. The programme was chaired by Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen.
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However, representatives of five major Naga tribes – Ao, Angami, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi – stayed away from the function. They form the Committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP), which has been pressing for changes in the four-decade-old reservation framework for backward tribes.
Although the state government has announced the creation of a Reservation Review Commission, the panel rejected the move, demanding inclusion of tribal bodies and civil society groups. It has resolved to boycott government functions until its demand is met, having already skipped Independence Day celebrations earlier this month.
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