Dr. Shürho not to seek re-election as NPF president

Veteran Naga regional politician and one-time chief minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu is on the verge of stepping down as the longest serving president of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) at the party’s general convention at Kohima slated on October 21, 2023.
The convention was supposed to have been held on November 24, 2024 but has been preponed.
Party sources confirmed that Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has decided to not stand for re-election at the October convention so as to pave way for a new party chief.
Dr. Shürhozelie who is 86 has presided over the party since 2002 and was also the 11th chief minister from February to July 2017.
The failure of the NPF to form a government despite winning 26 seats to NDPP’s 18 in the 2018 election started the downslide. NPF joined the PDA to form the second oppositionless government (UDA) in 2021 much against Dr. Shürhozelie’s wish. This signalled the virtual break up when 21 NPF legislators with its legislature party leader T.R. Zeliang merged with NDPP in April 2022. This proved to be a lethal blow for NPF as it could only set up 22 candidates for the 2023 assembly election of which only two won.
This defeat weighed heavily on the party which led to the thinking that it was time for the veteran president to call it a day.
Sources further said that the entire party organizational set up would be changed including Arunachal Pradesh State unit and Manipur unit.
Accordingly, the party has appointed search committees for election/selection of the new office bearers of divisions, area unitsvillage/town/ward units (parent, frontals and cells) for the tenure 2024-2028.
The committees have been directed to complete the process of selection/election and submit reports to the Central Headquarters latest by July 31, 2023 without fail for approval.