Nongthombam Biren Singh was on Monday sworn in as the chief minister of Manipur for the second consecutive term. Five ministers also took oath along with him.

Singh was on Sunday elected as the leader of the BJP’s legislature party. He was administered the oath of office by governor La Ganesan at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal.

BJP’s Thongam Biswajit Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Govindas Konthoujam and Nemcha Kipgen, and Naga People’s Front (NPF) member Awangbow Newmai are the five ministers who joined his cabinet.

Kipgen is the only woman in the council of ministers. The cabinet, which can have six more members, is expected to be expanded later.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by BJP president JP Nadda, chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam and Biplab Kumar Deb of Tripura and a host of other top dignitaries.

Later Biren Sing, a footballer-turned-journalist-turned politician, explained the priorities of the new government. “I will work to ensure that state is corruption-free. I will ensure that drug-related menace is washed out from the state. I will ensure militants are brought to the negotiating table,” he told media persons.

The BJP had won 32 seats in the 60-member assembly. The NPF (seven seats), Janata Dal-United (six seats), Kuki People’s Alliance (two seats) and an independent member later announced their support to the BJP.