Neiphiu Guolhoulie Rio (born 11 November 1950) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 9th and current Chief Minister of Nagaland since 2018, previously 2003 to 2014 and from 2018 till date. He is the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served five consecutive terms, and is the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland. He was also a Member of Parliament from

Nagaland Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

from 2014 to 2018.

Early life and education

Neiphiu Guolhoulie Rio was born on 11 November 1950 to an Angami Naga family from Tuophema. His mother and father were Kevilhouü and Guolhoulie Rio. He received his early education from Baptist English School, Kohima and Sainik School, Purulia, West Bengal. He attended college at St Joseph's College, Darjeeling and later graduated from Kohima Arts College. An active student leader during his School and College days, Rio entered politics at a very young age. He had headed many organisations before becoming the Chief Minister of Nagaland. He served as the President of Kohima District United Democratic Front (UDF) Youth Wing in 1974. He was also appointed the Chairman of Northern Angami Area Council in 1984. He also had been the honorary Vice-President of Indian Red Cross Society Nagaland branch.

Political career

On entering politics, Rio contested the Nagaland Assembly elections of 1987 unsuccessfully as an Independent Candidate. Rio was first elected to Nagaland Legislative Assembly as Congress (I) candidate from the Northern Angami-II constituency during the 7th General Elections of 1989. He was appointed the Minister for Sports and School Education and subsequently as Minister for Higher & Technical Education and Art & Culture; also served as Chairman in Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation, Nagaland Khadi & Village Industries Board and Development Authority of Nagaland. Rio was again elected from the same Constituency in 1993 as Congress (I) candidate and appointed Minister for Works & Housing. As a member of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, Rio was Nagaland's Home Minister as part of the cabinet headed by S. C. Jamir from 1998 till 2002 when he resigned from the ministry accusing Chief Minister S. C. Jamir of blocking a negotiated settlement of the vexed Naga issue.

As Chief Minister

After his resignation, Rio joined Naga People's Front which partnered with other Naga regionalist parties and the state branch of the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

(BJP) under his leadership to form the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), a coalition which won the 2003 state elections, bringing the 10-year-long rule of the

in the state to an end. Rio subsequently took office as Chief Minister on 6 March 2003. Before completing his first term, Rio was dismissed as Chief Minister when President's Rule was imposed in Nagaland on 3 January 2008. However, his party emerged as the single largest party in the ensuing elections and Rio, as the leader of DAN, was invited by the state Governor to form the government on 12 March 2008. During the 2013 Nagaland State elections, NPF won a thumping majority and Rio was re-elected as Chief Minister for a third term. At a memorial service in Kohima for the victims of 2021 Nagaland killings, Rio said "I am hopeful that the country and the rest of the world will not only understand the Nagas’ story but also the want for lasting peace."

Achievements

Rio has played a key role in setting up the Music Task Force, the first music industry in the country. He was awarded The

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, ; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of ...

Millennium award for his outstanding leadership and contributions to politics in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

in the year 2007.

Personal life

Rio is married to Kaisa Rio. Together they have five daughters and one son. His brother Zhaleo Rio was elected to Nagaland Assembly in 2013 and 2019 from Ghaspani II Constituency and was the Deputy Speaker of the assembly in 2018. His mother Kevilhouü Rio died on 1 January 2020, at the age of 92. His father had died 30 years before his mother's death.

References

External links

Profile
at Nagaland NIC. *
Neiphiu Rio extends ‘best wishes’ to Khrievitso Kense, youngest player shortlisted for IPL auction
, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Rio, Neiphiu 1950 births Living people Naga people Chief ministers of Nagaland Sainik School alumni People from Kohima district People from Kohima India MPs 2014–2019 Lok Sabha members from Nagaland Naga People's Front politicians Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party politicians Chief ministers from Naga People's Front politicians Indian National Congress politicians from Nagaland Nagaland MLAs 1998–2003 Nagaland MLAs 2003–2008 Nagaland MLAs 2008–2013 Nagaland MLAs 2013–2018 Nagaland MLAs 2018–2023