Ending speculation, the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) on Monday elected party chief Shurhozelie liezietsu as the new NPF legislature party even as the tribal groups, demanding resignation of former Chief Minister TR Zeliang, called off their indefinite bandh.
liezietsu was invited by Governor PB Acharya to form the next Government after he emerged as the unanimous choice for the post and formally staked his claim. The swearing in ceremony will take place on Wednesday.
Chief Minister-designate liezietsu lauded TR Zeliang’s ‘supreme sacrifice’ of vacating his chair to save Naga people from going into further turmoil. “He has done this with a big heart and I want all to recognise this sacrifice,” the Chief Minister designate said in his acceptance speech after been unanimously elected as the leader of the DAN legislature party this morning.
The development took place after former Chief Minister TR Zeliang tendered his resignation to the Nagaland Governor PB Acharya on Sunday night, paving way for smooth transition of powers in the State. Zeliang had called a meeting of the NPF legislators on Monday morning.
Although 38 of the NPF legislators had decided to support liezietsu as the next chief minister of the state, over 40 legislators of NPF and Independents had met at a resort in Kaziranga late Friday night and extended their support to lok Sabha MP Neiphu Rio as the next Chief Minister.
The resignation of Chief Minister Zeliang necessitated after two prominent organisations of the State — Nagaland Tribes Action Committee and Joint Coordination Committee launched a campaign in the State demanding his resignation owing moral responsibility for chaos that followed over the 33 per cent reservation of urban local body polls in the state and subsequent death of two youth in police firing on January 31.