Nagaland CM skips own floor test, replaced
GUWAHATI: TR Zeliang was sworn in as Nagaland’s 19th chief minister on Wednesday after the state’s governor, PB Acharya, dismissed Shurhozelie Liezietsu for failing to turn up for a trial of strength in the assembly. Nine legislators of the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) skipped the floor test too. ››
GUWAHATI: TRZeliang was sworn in as Na ga land’ s 19 th chief minister on Wednesday after the state’ s governor, PB A char ya, dismissed Shurhozelie Liezietsu for failing to turn up for a trial of strength in the assembly.
Nine legislators of the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) skipped the floor test too, forcing assembly speaker Imtiwapang Aier to adjourn the special session of the House.
The governor had summoned the special session at 9.30 am after the Nagaland bench of the Gauhati high court on Tuesday dis- missed Shurhozelie’s petition challenging the floor test that was earlier to be held by July 15.
An MLA in Shurhozelie’s camp, declining to be quoted, said he and his loyalists could not attend the special assembly ses- sion because they had to attend a funeral service in state capital Kohima’s Bayavu Hill. This will be 65-year-old Zeliang’s second stint as chief minister in a little more than three years.
After taking the oath, Zeliang said he will go for a floor test on July 21. The governor had given till July 22 to prove his majority. Zelianghad to stepdownon February 22 after a series of violent protests over his government’s decision to conduct civic polls with a 33% quota for women. The NP F had replaced him with Shurhozelie.
“Most of our MLAs did not want to go to polls under Shurhozelie... power got to him and his style of functioning became undemocratic,” Zeliang said.
NPF spokesperson Achumbemo Kikon, a member of Shurhozelie’s legal team, indicated that they would explore legal options.