New Delhi: Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga will take oath as the Chief Minister of Mizoram on Saturday noon. The swearing-in of Zoramthanga will be administered at 12 noon at Raj Bhawan under Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, the state protocol department officials informed. Rajasekharan formally invited Zoramthanga on Wednesday to form the next government after receiving the signed notification of the result from Election Commission officials. The seventh state legislative assembly was also dissolved during the day to pave the way for the constitution of the eighth assembly.

However, it has still not been announced whether all 12 members of the council of ministers will take oath on the same day or not.

Zoramthanga has been the Chief Minister of the state for two terms from 1998 to 2008.  The 74-year-old rebel-turned-politician was a former underground leader and a close aide of the legendary MNF leader Laldenga.  Congress’ Lal Thanhawla replaced him in 2003 and was the incumbent CM of the state during the elections.

The Mizo National Front dashed to a clear majority by bagging 26 seats of the 40-member state legislature after a decade, as Congress lost its last stronghold in the northeast. Eight seats were won by candidates who contested under the banner of newly-formed  Zoram Peoples Movement which is unregistered.

The Bharatiya Janata Party could manage only 1 seat in the state, while the Congress fell down to 5.