Why Shurhozelie Liezietsu is in a dilemma over his son's resignation

The Northern Angami-I by-election is slated on July 29

For Nagaland, July 29 is D-day. The Northern Angami-I by-election is slated on that day. The outcome will put the stamp on continuance of Shurhozelie Liezietsu as the new chief minister of the state. The by-election was occasioned by the resignation of his son, Khriehu, last month to enable his father to contest and become an elected member in the legislative assembly, to continue as CM.

That not any other MLA but his son had to resign to vacate a seat for him illustrates Liezietsu’s dilemma. The Assembly has 60 members. The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) coalition consists of 47 legislators from Liezietsu’s Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party’s four MLAs and eight independents. Elections are next due in 2018.

Its very majority is why there is dissent in the NPF. Earlier this year, then Chief Minister T R Zeliang announced civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women. The state was awash with violence when the NPF and others realised that many of their seats would be contested by women. Zeliang was forced to step down and Liezietsu replaced him.

Zeliang reckoned he had done nothing wrong. He picked himself up and made a renewed bid to get the top job. Earlier this month, he claimed in a letter to the governor, P B Acharya, that he had the support of 33 NPF legislators and seven independents. Sensing a rebellion, Liezietsu dismissed 10 parliamentary secretaries, and Zeliang himself from the post of advisor (finance) to the CM.

You could say Liezietsu shot himself in the foot with this move. This had legislators up in arms, created a very visible division and Zeliang began to think he only had to snap a finger and MLAs would come running.

What set the MLAs off? No one is saying but it could have been the appointment of Liezietsu’s son, Khriehu, as an advisor to the CM with the status and pay of a cabinet minister.

Alarmed at the destabilisation he had caused, Khriehu offered to give up the post. But, the die was cast and the rebel camp says more than 40 MLAs have signed on a letter to the governor, supporting Zeliang.

One theory is when the NPF had such a massive majority and there were so many contenders for ministerships, for the father to make his son a minister was political ineptitude. It is entirely possible that the BJP MLAs egged the rebels on, hoping to see their own elevation if the CM was changed.

That’s where the matter stands. This crisis makes it imperative for Liezietsu to win the by-election on July 29. A victory could save his job.