Nagaland: Shurhozelie Liezietsu steps down as president of Naga People's Front after 20 years

Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu has stepped down as the president of the Naga People's Front (NPF). The fact that Liezietsu has stepped down after almost twenty years as the NPF president has made the longest serving president of the NPF. 

Liezietsu formally stepped down as the NPF president during the party's general convention cum foundation day celebrations at the Capital Cultural Hall in Kohima today. 

Apong Pongener, the NPF's working president, is poised to take take charge as the next party chief. 

Liezietsu has been the party president for almost 20 years since the revival of the party from the Naga People's Convention upto the Naga People's Front. 

Noteworthy here is that Liezietsu had joined the United Democratic Front in 1969 and continued to serve the party in different capacities. He has been Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) eight times and held several important portfolios in a political career spanning nearly five decades.

In 2003 he was elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly as the Naga People's Front candidate in the constituency Northern Angami-I (ST). After the election, he was appointed Minister for Urban Development.

On 22 February 2017 he was sworn in as 17th Chief Minister of Nagaland.

He retained his constituency in the 2008 election, and was then appointed Minister for Urban Development for a second time with an additional portfolio of Higher and Technical Education.