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Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) N Biren Singh took oath as the 13th chief minister (CM) of Manipur on Monday, 21 March.
Singh was administered the oath of office by the state's Governor La Ganesan at Raj Bhawan in the capital Imphal, marking the beginning of his second term as the CM of the state.
"My Government's first step will be to make it a corruption-free state. I would work day and night to wash out corruption from the state. The next step will be to wash out any kind of drug-related matter from the state," Biren Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
"Thirdly, I will try to see that all the insurgents operating in the state are brought to the negotiating table and there are dialogues. These three will be my primary duties," he added.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi later took to Twitter to congratulate Singh.
"Congratulations to Shri @NBirenSingh Ji on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Manipur. I am confident his team and he would take Manipur to newer heights of progress and continue the good work done in the last five years," PM Modi tweeted.
BJP national president JP Nadda had arrived in Manipur ahead of the ceremony, and was welcomed by Singh.
Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Kiren Rijiju also congratulated the re-elected leader on Twitter.
Singh, who has been serving as the chief minister of the state since 2017, was unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party in Manipur on Sunday, which was attended by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The swearing-in ceremony comes days after the BJP on 10 March won majority in the 60-member Manipur Assembly with 32 seats. In 2017, the BJP had formed a coalition government in the state with the support of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and the National People's Party (NPP).
Nongthombam Biren Singh had led the coalition government as well, and has served as the first BJP chief minister of Manipur.
Journalist, Footballer, CM: Who Is N Biren Singh?
Nongthombam Biren Singh, 61, was born in Imphal. Before he made his foray into the political arena, the incumbent chief minister worked in the fields of football and journalism.
Singh began his career as a footballer after graduating from the Manipur University, and was recruited into the Border Security Force (BSF), playing for its team in various competitions. He quit the BSF in 1982, and participated in several domestic tournaments.
With no formal training, Singh began the vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang in 1992 and worked as its editor till 2001.
In 2002, he turned to politics.
DRP, Congress, BJP: Biren Singh's Political Meanderings
The footballer-turned-journalist-turned-politician has sketched a serpentine political trajectory, switching hands between three parties in his two-decade-long career so far.
Singh joined the Democratic Revolutionary Peoples Party in 2002, and won the assembly elections from Heingang Assembly constituency.
In May 2003, he was appointed Minister of State of Vigilance in the Manipur state government. He was also given the portfolio of Forest and Environment Minister (independent charge) and the position of Manipur Pollution Control Board chairman.
He retained the Heingang seat in 2007, contesting from the Indian National Congress ticket after joining the party in 2003.
He was appointed as the Minister of Irrigation and Flood Control, and Youth Affairs & Sports and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in the state government.
In 2012, he again retained his Assembly seat for the third consecutive term in the state elections. However, he was left out of the Manipur Cabinet, leading to a fallout between him and the-then CM Okram Ibobi Singh.
Biren Singh quit the Congress in 2016, and joined the BJP. He was appointed as the spokesperson and co-convener of the election management committee of BJP Manipur.
In 2017, he retained his seat from Heingang Assembly constituency, and was named the 12th Chief Minister of Manipur – the first ever BJP chief minister of the northeastern state.
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