Nagaland CM Loses His Job For Ensuring 33 Per Cent Reservation For Women In Local Body Polls

Governor of Nagaland P.B. Acharya on Monday accepted the resignation of Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang. Earlier on Sunday, amid agitation by tribal bodies, Zeliang decided to step down to make way for a 'consensus leader' to replace him.

Zeliang, in a letter addressed to his party MLAs, announced his decision, citing he wanted to resolve the political stalemate in the state. Following this, an emergency meeting of the Naga People's Front (NPF) has been called at 10 a.m. on Monday at the state banquet hall. This will be followed by a meeting of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) legislature party at the same venue at 11 a.m.

Zeliang has been facing opposition following his government's decision to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in urban local bodies. Several tribal bodies had called for a boycott of the government move, arguing that reservation (for women) would infringe on Naga Customary Laws and Christianity, protected under the Constitution of India.

"According to Christianity, women were created as partnership and helper to men,” the founder president and senior adviser to the influential GB Federation of Nagaland, T L Angami, had said earlier.

He argued that the idea of women's reservation was a “violation of Christian religion doctrine as well as the Naga customary practices.” He also called on the state government to cancel the recommendation of the cabinet decision.

A 90 per cent Christian state, Nagaland has never elected a woman to the legislative assembly since independence. In 1977, late Rano M Shaiza became the first and only (so far) woman member of parliament.

With inputs from ANI.