Nagaland CM TR Zeliang goes Modi way; to address the public on the lines of ‘Mann Ki Baat’

Zeliang is locked in a conflict with some influential tribal organisations over his government’s decision to hold urban local bodies’ elections.

Nagaland came to a standstill on Saturday as activists protested 33% reservation for women, asking for polls to be stalled | Express Photo Service

GUWAHATI: Taking a leaf out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s book, Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang will address the people in the state at 7.30 PM on Monday on the lines of “Mann Ki Baat”.

“The chief minister of Nagaland Mr. TR Zeliang will be delivering an address to the state at 7.30 PM on Monday on All India Radio, Kohima. Listeners are requested to tune in and listen to the address,” a statement issued by the chief minister’s office said.

Zeliang is locked in a conflict with some influential tribal organisations over his government’s decision to hold urban local bodies’ elections with 33 per cent reservation for women.

Despite opposition from them, his government went ahead with the polls that were held in some of the 32 ULBs on February 1 but as the exercise triggered widespread violence, the government, as well as the state election commission, declared the polls as “null and void”.

However, that could not pacify the protestors who demanded Zeliang’s resignation and set a deadline. But as he refused to step down, they called an indefinite bandh from Monday.

The bandh will coincide with class X and XII board examinations beginning on Wednesday and an uncertainty now looms large over the exams.

The basic idea of Zeliang’s radio address is to reach out to more and more people to assert his government’s position on the polls. His Naga People’s Front (NPF) is an ally of BJP.

Both NPF and BJP are constituents of ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN).