The upcoming Nagaland Assembly election, scheduled for February 27, 2023, will see the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) contesting in an alliance. In the last election, the NDPP won 17 seats and has now entered into an alliance with the BJP again, while the NDPP is contesting 40 assembly seats, the BJP is eying 20 seats in the state. In 2022, the NDPP welcomed 21 MLAs from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), led by former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang, which could benefit it in the upcoming polls.

Here are 5 key points about TR Zeliang:

  1. TR Zeliang served two terms as the Chief Minister of Nagaland. He first assumed office in 2014 following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio, who was elected to the Lok Sabha. Zeliang stepped down from the post in 2017 due to political turmoil and was again sworn in months later after Shurhozelie Liezietsu failed to prove a majority in the Assembly. However, he had to resign again in March 2018.
  2. TR Zeliang’s party, the Naga People’s Front (NPF), won 26 seats in the 2018 Assembly polls. In 2021, the NPF joined the ruling NDPP government to form an all-party alliance named United Democratic Alliance (UDA). TR Zeliang was made UDA’s chairman in February 2022.
  3. In April 2022, TR Zeliang and 20 other NPF MLAs joined the NDPP. He was earlier associated with the Congress party and served as District Youth Congress President in 1976 and also as an Executive Member of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). The former Chief Minister was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2008.
  4. TR Zeliang completed his matriculation from the Don Bosco High School Dibrugarh, Assam, in 1975. He went to Kohima College to obtain a bachelor’s of arts degree but could not clear the final exam.
  5. In the upcoming 2023 Nagaland Assembly polls, TR Zeliang is contesting from the Peren (ST) seat.

Also read: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha campaigns ahead of 2023 elections: A look at his political career

The votes for the 60-member Nagaland Assembly will be counted on March 2, along with Tripura and Meghalaya.