Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang's letter announcing his decision to step down.

Zeliang

Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang resigns amidst political turmoil

NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI: Embattled Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang on Sunday announced his resignation from the top post, days after party legislators withdrew their support to break the deadlock between agitating tribal groups and the government."I have decided to step down from office and to select a new consensus leader to succeed me, I hereby call for an emergency meeting of the NPF legislature party meeting at 10 AM tomorrow," Zeliang said in a public statement.In his letter, Zeliang urged all party members to attend the meeting to elect a consensus leader to ensure smooth transition of office for the sake of the Naga people.Nagaland has been in a state of turmoil ever since the Nagaland Tribal Action Committee began their agitation demanding the resignation ofover his decision to conduct civic bodies' elections with 33 per cent reservation for women There are speculations of former chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio being elected as the new leader to succeed Zeliang.The chief minister’s office said, “Since there cannot be a discontinuity, the chief minister has drafted the resignation letter which will be placed before the legislature party tomorrow where the new leader will be elected and together they will go to Raj Bhawan, where the CM will submit his resignation and the new leader will stake claim.”The late Sunday afternoon development came after two days of power struggle at a resort at the Kaziranga National Park in neighbouring Assam.Since Friday night till Saturday morning, 49 legislators, most of whom had earlier favoured the ouster of Zeliang, snuck into a resort at the Assam national park after the ruling NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu was projected as the next chief minister.