AIZAWL — Former Union Minister and Army chief, Gen Vijay Kumar Singh (retd) took
oath as 25th Governor of Mizoram here on Thursday.
Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi administered
the oath of office and secrecy to Governor Singh in a simple ceremony at Raj
Bhavan.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma and his Cabinet colleagues,
Assembly Speaker Lalbiakzama, and top security, civil and military officials
were present in the ceremony, conducted by Chief Secretary Khilli Ram Meena.
Former Chief Ministers Lal Thanhawla (Congress) and
Zoramthanga (Mizo National Front), church leaders, and representatives of
different organisations were also present.
Singh was appointed as the governor of Mizoram by President
Droupadi Murmu on December 24.
On Wednesday, the new Governor was welcomed by the Chief
Minister, Assembly Speaker Lalbiakzama, Home Minister K. Sapdanga and other
dignitaries after he arrived at the Lengpui Airport, around 30 km from Aizawl.
The Governor, accompanied by his wife Bharti Singh and other
family members, visited the revered Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati to seek the
divine blessings of Maa Kamakhya before assuming the gubernatorial charge of
Mizoram.
"This act of devotion underscores the deep respect for
the spiritual and cultural traditions of the region. During the visit, the
Governor offered prayers to Maa Kamakhya, seeking her grace and guidance to
serve the people of Mizoram with dedication, humility and integrity. The visit
to one of the most significant Shakti Peeths is a gesture of reverence,
symbolising the importance of divine inspiration in public service," an
official statement said.
Outgoing Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, who held the post
for more than three years and five months, left the state on January 2 and took
up the gubernatorial charge in Odisha the next day.
Born on May 10, 1951, General V.K. Singh (retd) served as
the 24th Chief of Army Staff from 2010 to 2012 and after retiring from the
army, entered politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad
on a BJP ticket in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's first term, he served as the Minister of State for External
Affairs, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development
of North Eastern Region (DoNER), and Minister of State for Statistics and
Programme Implementation. In PM Modi's second term, he held the portfolios of
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation.
