Nagaland assembly speaker accepts resignation of education Minister

Kohima, Mar 21 : Nagaland legislative assembly (NLA) speaker Chotisuh Sazo has accepted the resignation of newly-appointed school education minister C M Chang.

The resignation of Mr Chang was confirmed by Mr Sazo. Mr Chang, the elected representative from Noksen Assembly Constituency under Tuensang district.

Mr Chang, who is also the lone member of the Lok Sabha from Nagaland, had contested the just concluded February 23, Assembly elections on an NPF ticket and, on winning the Noksen seat, had been sworn in as Minister for School Education in the NPF-led DAN Government on March 5.

Mr Sazo said Chang would continue to retain the lone MP chair in the lower House, while explaining that the arrangement had to be made in order to avoid by-election for the Lok Sabha seat.

Stating that CM Chang's resignation from the Parliament seat would force a by-election within six months, the Speaker said since the Parliamentary elections are due to be held by mid 2014, it would be difficult to conduct two elections within a span of a year for the same
parliamentary constituency.

He, therefore, said Chang has resigned from the NLA in order to retain the MP seat. However, he will continue to hold the present ministerial portfolio in the State till by-elections are held for the Assembly Constituency.