PM 2 day NE visit to attend swearing-in ceremony, Assam cabinet
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to the Northeast from Tuesday, during which he will attend the swearing-in ceremony of new governments in three states of the region.
Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said on Monday that he will also attend the Assam government cabinet meeting during his overnight stay in the state.
BJP-backed coalitions have retained power in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura, with results announced on March 2 and new governments to be sworn in over two days starting Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Mahanta said the Prime Minister will arrive at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here at 10 am on Tuesday and will fly directly to Meghalaya from there.
The NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, has staked its claim to form the government for the second consecutive term in the state with 32 MLAs. The BJP, an ally of the MDA, has been inducted into the new ministry.
Sangma said the NPP, which won 26 seats out of a total of 60, would get a majority of eight cabinet berths and allies UDP would get two and HSPDP, like the BJP, would get a single ministry slot.
Mahanta said that after attending the swearing-in ceremony in Shillong, he will leave for Kohima and participate in the swearing-in program of the new Nagaland government.
In Nagaland, the pre-poll alliance of NDPP-BJP has 37 out of 60 seats and the state is heading towards an opposition government as all other elected parties have unconditionally supported it.
Mahanta said the Prime Minister will return to Guwahati airport at 5 pm tomorrow and meet the Assam Cabinet at the State Guest House here at 6.45 pm.
Prime Minister Manik Saha will visit Tripura’s capital Agartala at 9.40 am on Wednesday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the government and will return to New Delhi from there.
Saha, who was made chief minister in a rebranding exercise in 2022, was named the BJP legislature party leader.
The Assam minister said that while specific details on the agenda of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting with Modi are not known, the work of all departments is expected to be discussed.
He said that the implementation of central government schemes will also be reviewed.
The Assam Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, discussed preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit. Mahanta added that the Governor’s traditional speech to be delivered on the first day of the budget session on Friday was also considered.
