CM Zeliang lobbies for deferring Assembly polls

Guwahati: Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang and his council of ministers who are facing dissension within the ruling Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) is lobbying hard to defer elections in the name of ongoing peace talks with NSCN(I-M).

Disclosing that Union home minister Rajnath Singh has also postponed his meeting with Nagaland chief minister on Tuesday in New Delhi, sources in the NPF said that Mr Zeliang has been trying to defer the elections, which is schedule to take place in February with Meghalaya and Tripura. The 60-member Nagaland Assembly’s term comes to an end on March 13, 2018.

Informing that problem started since former chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu took over the control of Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), sources in the party said that many senior ministers, including the chief minister, are afraid of not getting ticket from the party.

Indicating that patch up between the two former chief ministers — Mr Shurhozelie and Mr Neiphiu Rio — has changed the equation in the ruling partry, sources said that many NPF ministers are also meeting BJP leaders and may switchover the party too.

Asserting that by deferring elections, they are trying to buy time, sources in the NPF said that the Zelinag camp was also trying to rope in National Peoples Party (NPP) of Conrad Sangma to contest the upcoming Assembly elections on their symbol in case of any eventuality.

Pointing out that the NPF, led by Mr Shurhozelie, was preparing to field young and new faces in the upcoming Assembly elections, sources said that the formation of election committee of the NPF for selection of candidates has made it clear that the Zeliang camp may not have any say in the selection of candidates.

Pointing out that Mr Shurhozelie, a veteran politicians who was dethrone from the office by Mr Zeliang, was opposed to the idea of giving ticket to the chief minister and his loyalists, sources said that back up of Mr Rio has also strengthened the position of Mr Shurhozelie in the NPF.