GUWAHATI: The change of guard in restive Nagaland is likely to take place on Saturday when Governor PB Acharya returns from Delhi.
Naga People's Front (NPF) sources told Express that the governor, as well as chief minister TR Zeliang, would return by Saturday evening.
In the absence of the governor, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Legislators’ Party submitted a letter of support for NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu, to be the next chief minister, to the Raj Bhavan in Kohima on Friday.
In the 60-member House, 42 MLAs – 33 of them from NPF – have lent their support for 81-year-old Liezietsu, who is a former minister.
“The DAN Legislators Party submitted its support for Shurhozelie Liezietsu to Raj Bhavan. In all probability, if the governor returns by tomorrow (Saturday) evening, we can expect the process of transition,” the state’s lone Rajya Sabha member, KG Kenye, told Express.
“We communicated with the chief minister, who also is arriving tomorrow (Saturday). In fact, he wanted to fax his
resignation from Delhi yesterday (Thursday) itself but we said that’s not proper,” Kenye said.
Zeliang rushed to Delhi on Thursday morning hours after the MLAs had thrown their weight behind Liezietsu at a meeting held on Wednesday.
Some tribal organisations in the state are going for the chief minister’s scalp for his government’s decision to go ahead with urban local bodies’ elections with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women, ignoring statewide protests against it. The tribal bodies, which have enforced an indefinite bandh since Monday, argue that quota will infringe upon Article 371(A) which commits to protect Naga customary laws and rights.
The bandh has thrown life out of gear in the region. The protestors are not allowing government offices to function and government vehicles to ply.