YM Yollow Konyak signing a document during the swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Kohima on February 9. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 9
Newly appointed minister YM Yollow Konyak took the oath of office and secrecy as a Cabinet Minister during a swearing-in ceremony at the Dr Imkongliba Ao Hall, Raj Bhavan, Kohima on Wednesday.
The two-time member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly was sworn-in by Nagaland and Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi in the presence of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and other legislators.
Konyak is now the twelfth minister in the opposition-less United Democratic Alliance (UDA) coalition government, filling in the berth vacated by CM Chang of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), who died in October 2020.
He has been given the portfolio of Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Nagaland became an opposition-less government in August 2021 when the state’s only opposition party, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) was inducted into the state government to “work collectively towards achieving a peaceful and amicable solution” to the protracted Naga political issue.
While the NPF had since maintained that it was not interested in seeking portfolios for its legislators, the decision to accommodate Konyak was taken at a joint parliamentary meeting of the UDA on February 8. Significantly, NPF Legislature Party Leader TR Zeliang was also inducted as the UDA Chairperson during the same meeting.
Yollow Konyak who contested with the NPF party ticket in 2018 was elected to the 13th NLA from 42 Wakching Assembly Constituency.
With the new addition, the Council of Ministers now has four from the NDPP, six from the BJP, and one each from the NPF and independent MLA.
According to a report from the PTI News Agency, Chairperson of the UDA T R Zeliang, who was part of the swearing-in ceremony, later, told reporters that the NPF has given an ‘open invitation’ to the NDPP for a political merger and ‘are awaiting a decision at their end.’
The PTI also reported that Rio on Wednesday appointed NDPP MLAs H Chuba Chang and S Keoshu Yimchunger as advisors.
Chang has been allocated the Justice & Law and SCERT departments, while Yimchunger was given Village Guards and Information & Public Relations departments.
In a notification, Chief Secretary J Alam said the appointments would help utilise the vast and practical experience of the members of the assembly for the benefit of the public, the PTI report stated.
