Aizawl, Jan 16 (IANS): 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.