Aizawl, September 20 (PTI): Senior Congress leader K S Thanga was today sworn in as a new minister in the Lal Thanhawla government. Mizoram Governor Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma (Retd) administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thanga in the swearing-in ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan. With Thanga, Lal Thanhawla government has now 11 minister. Mizoram can have maximum of 12 ministers. Thanga has been given the rank of a minister of state. The 57-year-old, Thanga, a former student leader joined the Congress and won from Aizawl South -III seat in 2008 state assembly polls as Congress candidate and was appointed as parliamentary secretary. He won from the same constituency in the 2013 assembly polls and was again inducted as parliamentary secretary from which he resigned on August 30, following the declaration of the act for appointment of parliamentary secretaries as 'unconstitutional' by the Supreme Court. Sources in the ruling Congress said that Lalawmpuii Chawngthu was also to be sworn-in as minister today but could not be sworn in as she was in Delhi. Lalrinmawia Ralte who had resigned from the ministry was appointed as Political Adviser to Chief Minister yesterday, and he was given the rank of Minister of State.