Nagaland CM blames vested interests for ULB impasse

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang tonight said that some vested interests were taking advantage of the public movement with regard to Upper Lower Body elections in the state and turning it into a "politically motivated situation".
Without specifying any individual or group, Zeliang told media here, "Some vested interests are taking advantage of the public movement and turning it into a politically motivated situation."
Referring to the situation in the state since January 31, the Chief Minister said, "Unless there is vested interest behind this drama, people will not move just like that."
He stated that Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) consisting of Naga Council Dimapur, Central Nagaland Tribes Council and other tribal bodies initially wanted the Upper Lower Body (ULB) elections to be postponed, which the government had done and even declared it null and void.

Yet, there was fresh demand for the Chief Minister to resign and that means there was vested interest, he elaborated.
Responding to the demand of his resignation, Zeliang said, "I am ready to step down if majority of the MLAs go against me."

Referring to the tribal organisations' stand on the 33 per cent women reservation in urban local bodies, the CM said that there were women candidates who had filed nominations in the reserved seats, but later withdrew their candidature and also went against holding of the elections.
On the signing of the January 30 statement between the
government and the tribal organisations in Dimapur and the subsequent allegations by the latter that the government went back on its promise, the Chief Minister said a "misunderstanding had been created between the two sides."

He claimed that since the Joint Coordination Committee (spearheading the movement) had asked for postponement to make people understand and hold the ULB elections with 33 per cent women reservation, "we agreed in principle but subject to the approval of the state cabinet."
"Therefore, we thought that postponement of ULB elections in the entire state may not be necessary so we allowed conduct of polls wherever the situation was not tensed, while postponing elections to 7 ULBs," the CM said.
"So if we have committed anything against the will of those people, NBCC and JCC ..And if this incident has taken place because of such misunderstanding, then, I apologise on behalf of the government," Zeliang said.

"The government's line of understanding was with good intention but that has been misunderstood and such incident had taken place leading to death of two youths, for which, I feel sorry and apologise on behalf of the government," he said.
Zeliang, however, expressed hope that tomorrow's proposed meeting with tribal organisations of the state, JCC and NTAC Kohima and apex body of the tribal organisations like Naga Hoho, Central Nagaland Tribes Council, Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation and President GBs Federation will resolve the issue under the goodwill mission of church bodies.