TR Zeliang sworn-in as Nagaland CM again

TIL Desk/National/Kohima/ Naga People’s Front leader and ruling DAN chairman T R Zeliang was yesterday sworn-in as the chief minister of Nagaland, five months after he had to resign amidst state-wide protests. Governor P B Acharya administered him the oath of office.

Zeliang later told newsmen he would face the floor test on July 21. The Cabinet members will be sworn-in only after the floor test, he said. The governor has asked him to prove his strength in the House on or before July 22. Zeliang becomes the 19th chief minister of the Northeastern state.

He was appointed as the chief minister in the morning by the governor as the embattled incumbent Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his followers failed to turn up to prove majority in the House as directed by Gauhati High Court.

The House was then adjourned sine die. The court had dismissed Liezietsu’s petition for a stay on the governor’s directive to him to seek vote of confidence in the House on or before July 15.

Zeliang returns to the helm after a gap of five months. He had to quit on February 19 amidst the state-wide uproar over elections to urban local bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women. He had approached the Governor on July 9 claiming the support of 42 NPF MLAs in the House, with an effective stength of 59.