The political crisis in Nagaland is heading for an end with the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Legislature Party on Monday electing veteran leader and party president Shurhozelie Liezeitsu as its new leader in place of TR Zeliang who had quit on Sunday.

Official sources in Kohima said Shurhozelie would be sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday. Monday’s decision of the DAN legislature party – all 60 MLAs of the Nagaland House belong to DAN – also brought to an end speculations about former chief minister Neiphiu Rio returning to state politics after the resignation of chief minister TR Zeliang on Sunday.

DAN comprises of 49 NPF legislators, 4 BJP and seven Independents. Zeliang had to resign after a series of incidents rocked the state when his government wanted to hold municipal elections with 33 per cent reservation for women. Various tribal groups opposed the civic elections on the ground that certain provisions of the Nagaland Municipal Act framed under Article 243(T) of the Constitution allegedly infringed upon Naga tradition and customs as protected under Article 371(A).

Sources in Kohima said altogether 58 DAN MLAs on Monday signed in favour of the 81-year old Shurhozelie Liezeitsu, thus also putting an end to speculations that former chief minister Neiphiu Rio would replace Zeliang. Rio, currently lone Lok Sabha member from Nagaland was expelled from the NPF in May 2016 for his alleged anti-party activities, which became a “technical problem” in his attempt to get elected as the new chief minister.

Rio had on Saturday evening almost convinced majority of the NPF and Independent MLAs to back him during the crucial legislature party meetings of the DAN and NPF held in Kohima on Monday. But party leaders cited the “technical” problem that stood in Rio’s way, leading to a near-unanimous decision in favour of Shurhozelie Leizeitsu.

Eight times MLA, Shurhozelie however had not contested the 2013 assembly elections, and will now have to get elected through a by-election within six months. Chosen as the eleventh chief minister of Nagaland, Shurhozelie is also a noted litterateur and linguist who has Meanwhile, the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) have decided to call of the indefinite bandh that they had imposed against government offices from February 6 demanding resignation of chief minister Zeliang. “We are calling off the indefinite bandh, but our other demands – suspension of former Dimapur Police Commissioner and amending the Nagaland Municipal Act so that the provision for 33 per cent women’s reservation which infringes upon Naga tradition and customs was removed,” a JCC spokesman said.

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