Liezietsu, 81, to be Nagaland’s next chief minister
GUWAHATI:THE ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) ended all speculation on Monday by choosing Naga People’s Front (NPF) president Shurhozelie Liezietsu as the next chief minister of Nagaland.
He will be sworn in on Wednesday.
The 81-year-old Liezietsu will replace TR Zeliang, who quit on Sunday after pressure from tribal organisations for deciding to hold civic body polls with 33% quota for women.
NPF is the major constituent of DAN with 48 legislators in the 60-member Nagaland assembly that has no opposition. The other MLAS – eight independents and four of BJP – are in the alliance.
After meeting governor PB Acharya, Liezietsu lauded Zeliang’s “supreme sacrifice” of vacating his chair to save the Naga people from going into further turmoil.
“A lot of damage has been done... I cannot do magic even if I take over but I have a strong feeling we can achieve our goal together,” he said.
Former chief minister and Nagaland’s sole Lok Sabha member Neiphiu Rio, who had tried to topple Zeliang in 2015, was earlier said to be a frontrunner for the CM’S post. His camp had allegedly herded more than 40 MLAS to a couple of resorts in Kaziranga on Friday night.
Rio too reached one of the resorts after returning to Nagaland’s Dimapur town from Delhi on Saturday.
The MLAS returned to Kohima on Sunday when it became clear Zeliang was resign ing in the “bigger interest of the state”.
An NPF leader said the scales tipped in Liezietsu’s favour dur ing an emergency meeting of the NPF Legislature Party followed by the DAN Legislature Party meeting on Monday. Rio had to be kept out because of a technica problem — NPF had last year suspended him indefinitely for anti-party activities.
A party leader said 58 MLAS signed in favour of Liezietsu.
“Nagaland at this juncture needs to be guided by an experi enced leader like Liezietsu,” Nagaland’s Rajya Sabha mem ber KG Kenye, who had sug gested Liezietsu’s name.
Regarded as a scholar, Liezi etsu will have to seek re-election within six months of becoming the 11th person to be Nagaland’s chief minister and the 19th overall.
After retaining his Northern Angami-i assembly seat in 2008 Liezietsu decided not to contest the 2013 polls and let his son Khriehu contest instead Khriehu was later made the par liamentary secretary of youth resources and sports, music task force and state lottery.
In all probability, the 51-year old Khriehu will “return the favour” by sacrificing the North ern Angami-i to let his father be re-elected.
The senior Liezietsu was first elected to the Nagaland assem bly in 2003 and went on to be the minister of urban development Higher and technical education was added to his portfolio after he won the 2008 election.