Nagaland political crisis: People’s Front (NPF) president and Nagaland CM Shurhozelie Liezitsu
In less than two hours of beleaguered Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu failing to turn up in the special emergent session of the State Assembly to take a floor test on Wednesday, Governor PB Acharya administered oath to TR Zeliang as the new Chief Minister.
The governor asked Zeliang, who claimed to enjoy the support of 47 legislators, to prove his majority by July 22.
The development took place after Speaker Imtiwapang Aier submitted his report to the governor, stating that chief minister Liezietsu was not present in the special emergent session of the House on Wednesday morning “to avail the opportunity granted by the Hon’ble Governor to prove his majority in the House.”
Zeliang, who had stepped down in February this year following large-scale violence after several groups opposed holding civic polls in the state with 33 per cent reservation for women, had for the past three weeks claimed that majority of the DAN legislators were in favour of his return to the chief minister’s post. Zeliang and his supporters – whose numbers had increased to 47 in a House of 59 – had accused chief minister Liezietsu of nepotism, favouritism and failure to govern the state. Liezietsu, who is not a member of the Assembly, incidentally is contesting in a by-election on July 29 from the North Angami-I constituency.
