Nagaland CM Zeliang wins trust vote with support of 47 MLAs

TR Zeliang was appointed chief minister for the second time under the third term of the NPF-led DAN government after governor PB Acharya dismissed his predecessor Shurhozelie Liezietsu.

Kohima, July 21: T R Zeliang, who was reappointed as Chief Minister of Nagaland under dramatic circumstances on Wednesday, won the trust vote with the support of 47 out of 59 MLAs on Friday.

The development comes two days after the then CM Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his supporters failed to turn up for the special emergent session of the state assembly in Kohima on Wednesday morning.

Zeliang moved the vote of confidence in the Assembly as an MLA of the Naga Peoples Front, though he has been expelled from the party for six years.

"As per the Tenth Schedule amendment of 2006, an elected member of any party cannot be declared unattached in the Assembly even though he is expelled by the party," Yeptho, an MLA, asserted.

Earlier, he had expressed confidence that with the support of 36 NPF MLAs, seven Independents, and four BJP MLAs, which takes the number to 47 in the House of 60, Zeliang is sure of commanding a majority in the House.

Zeliang took over the mantle after incumbent chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu was dismissed by Governor P B Acharya, capping a rebellion in the ruling NPF he had spearheaded.

The Governor directed Zeliang to prove his majority in the Assembly by July 22 and the chief minister agreed to do so by Friday.

Zeliang was appointed chief minister for the second time under the third term of the NPF-led DAN government.

Zeliang was compelled to step down as chief minister in February in the face of massive protest against his government for conducting elections to urban local bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women.

'Illegal' dismissal

Dethroned Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu alleged that the Governor Acharya's decision dismissing his government and installing Zeliang as chief minister was "illegal and unconstitutional".

Interacting with the media at his official residence on Thursday, Liezietsu alleged, "The Governor dismissed my government without following any procedure and rules....it was illegal and unconstitutional."

Recalling the sequence of events since June 8 leading to his dethroning, Liezietsu, who is the president of the ruling NPF, said that the dissident MLAs had staked claim to form the new government from Kaziranga in Assam.

Terming the present situation as a 'temporary setback', Liezietsu asserted, "We do not have any bad feelings against anybody because we stand for truth and it will win at the end".

On the decision to contest the by-election to become a regular member of the House and continue the chair, Liezietsu clarified that it was because the state cabinet had on May 26 asked him to contest the poll which was also supported by the NPF Central Executive Council.

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