Ajay Kumar Bhalla to be sworn in as Nagaland Guv on Aug 25

Kohima, Aug 22 (IANS) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla would be sworn in as the new governor of Nagaland on August 25, officials said.

Bhalla was given additional charge of Nagaland Governor by President Droupadi Murmu on August 16, a day after the death of Nagaland Governor La. Ganesan on August 15 at a Chennai hospital.

An official said that the swearing-in ceremony would take place at Raj Bhavan, Kohima, on Monday (August 25). Bhalla, a former Union Home Secretary, would arrive in Kohima on Saturday. The seven-day mourning declared by the Nagaland government as a mark of respect to La. Ganesan ended on Friday. La. Ganesan died at a private hospital in Chennai on August 15 at the age of 80.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers and Chief Secretary represented the people of Nagaland at Chennai, where the last rites of La. Ganesan was performed.

He had been undergoing treatment in the private hospital in Chennai for a serious head injury sustained after a fall at his residence at T. Nagar in Chennai on August 8.

A veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with a strong RSS background, La. Ganesan had served as Governor of Manipur, West Bengal, and Nagaland between 2021 and 2025. Ganesan was appointed the 21st governor of Nagaland on February 12, 2023, and he assumed office on February 20 that year.

Nagaland Chief Minister earlier said that La. Ganesan worked tirelessly to strengthen the bonds of unity and promote development in Nagaland.

"Despite holding the highest office in the state, he remained simple, humble, and deeply connected to the grassroots. His modest nature endeared him to the people and will continue to inspire generations. In my time of working with him, I came to know him as a man of integrity, principle, great wisdom, and moral strength, steadfast in his commitment to upholding the values of the Constitution. His life was a testament to selfless service, calm leadership, and an enduring devotion to the ideals of justice and unity," CM Rio had said.

The Chief Minister had said that the void left by his passing will be deeply felt, but we take comfort in the legacy of service, courage, and leadership he leaves behind. His contributions to the state and the Nation would be remembered with respect and gratitude, Rio had said.

--IANS

sc/dan