Gangtok, Jun 10: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) supremo Prem Singh Tamang on Monday took oath as the chief minister of the Himalayan state for the second consecutive term.
The 56-year-old politician was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a function held in Paljor Stadium here.
Eleven other ministers also took oath along with him.
Thousands of SKM supporters turned up to witness the swearing-in ceremony and cheered for their leader who took oath in Nepali.
The stadium erupted in loud sounds of firecrackers as Tamang was sworn in. The bursting of firecrackers is otherwise prohibited in Sikkim.
Along with the chief minister, 11 other ministers were sworn in, including Sonam Lama, Arun Kumar Upreti, Samdup Lepcha, Bhim Hang Limboo, Bhoj Raj Rai, G T Dhungel, Puran Kumar Gurung, Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, Nar Bahadur Dahal, Raju Basnet and Tshering Thendup Bhutia.
The council of ministers in Sikkim can have a maximum strength of 12 including the chief minister.
While three ministers -- Arun Kumar Upreti, Nar Bahadur Dahal and Raju Basnet -- took oath in Nepali, eight other ministers took oath in English.
Only four ministers of the previous government have been retained time.
The chief minister has rewarded two SKM MLAs Bhoj Raj Rai and Raju Basnet with ministerial berths for defeating SDF supremo and former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling in Poklok-Kamrang and Namcheybung assembly constituencies respectively.
Tamang also included Nar Bahadur Dahal, a first-time MLA from Khamdong-Singtam, in the cabinet for defeating Mani Kumar Sharma, who had revolted against the chief minister in the previous term.
Women, however, failed to get representation in the Tamang cabinet despite four women getting elected on SKM tickets, including the CM’s wife Krishna Kumari Rai.
Around 30,000 SKM leaders and workers attended the elaborate swearing-in ceremony for which the state government had declared a half working day for government employees and closed the educational institutions around the state capital as part of security measures for the function.
Will always support NDA as Modi govt assisted in development of Sikkim: Tamang
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday asserted that his party SKM would continue supporting the NDA as the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assisted in the development of the Himalayan state.
Tamang, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) supremo, took oath as the chief minister of the Himalayan state for the second term at Paljor stadium during the day.
Speaking to PTI Video, Tamang said, "The priority of our government in this term would be BIPASHA (Bijli, Paan, Sadak, Swasthya, Siksha, Rojgar)."
He said his party won the assembly elections because of the development work done by his government despite facing severe challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On his party's support to the Modi government, "In my first tenure as well, we had supported the NDA... we will always support NDA as they have supported our state."
"Earlier, Sikkim did not get any support from the Union government but after Modi ji came to power, we are getting full support for the development of the state," he added.
SKM returned to power for the second consecutive term, winning 31 of the 32 assembly seats, while SDF managed to win one seat. SDF supremo and former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling failed to win either of the seats he contested.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Prem Singh Tamang on taking oath as the chief minister of Sikkim and wished him a fruitful tenure.
Modi said on X that he looked forward to working with Tamang for the state's progress.
"Congratulations to Shri @PSTamangGolay on taking oath as the chief minister of Sikkim. Wishing him a fruitful tenure and looking forward to working with him for Sikkim's progress," the prime minister said.
Tamang, 56, has become chief minister for the second consecutive term.
His Sikkim Krantikari Morcha returned to power in the state by a landslide victory, winning 31 seats in the 32-member assembly. The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front, which ruled the state for 25 years in a row till 2019, could manage only one seat. (PTI)