Gangtok, June 10 (IPR): In a grand ceremony held at Paljor Stadium today, Mr Prem Singh Tamang was sworn in for his second consecutive term as the Chief Minister of Sikkim. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Mr Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
The Chief Minister took his oath in Nepali language, followed by his 11 Council of Ministers who were also sworn in during the event.
The new Council of Ministers include both seasoned leaders and fresh faces. Returning for their second term are Mr Sonam Lama, Mr Arun Kumar Upreti, Mr Samdup Lepcha, and Mr Bhim Hang Limboo. New faces in the Ministers include Mr Bhoj Raj Rai, Mr GT Dhungel, Mr Puran Kumar Gurung, Mr Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, Mr Nar Bahadur Dahal, Mr Raju Basnet, and Mr Tshering Thendup Bhutia.
Earlier, the ceremony commenced with Mr VB Pathak, Chief Secretary seeking permission to read the warrant of appointment issued by the Governor. Following this, the Governor administered the oaths to the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers.
The event was attended by Mr Justice Biswanath Somadder, Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim, Mr Ganga Prasad, former Governor of Sikkim, Judges, High Court of Sikkim and distinguished guests including revered leaders, MPs, MLAs, party leaders, NGO representatives, and dignitaries from across the country, along with State Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Government officials, and a large number of supporters from various walks of life.
The ceremony also featured chanting of prayers by Buddhist monks, singing of hymns by a Christian choir group, and Vedic chanting by the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya to add a spiritual and cultural essence to the celebration. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause throughout the event with great enthusiasm and support for the new government.
It may be recalled here that the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), led by party supremo Mr Prem Singh Tamang, achieved a landslide victory in the assembly polls and secured the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim. The SKM won 31 of the 32 Assembly seats in the polls, which took place simultaneously with the Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.
