Former Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir has been named Congress candidate for Aonglenden Assembly seat of Nagaland where by-election will be held on May 7.
“Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of S C Jamir for the ensuing assembly by-election to the legislative assembly of Nagaland from Aonglenden (ST) constituency,” a party release said.
By-election to Aonglenden was necessitated following the demise of Congress MLA Nungshijungba Longkumer last year.
80-year-old Mr. Jamir, who hails from the State has earlier served as Governor or Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa besides being Chief Minister of Nagaland for four times.
Mr. Jamir was part of a delegation that had held talks with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1960 leading to the establishment of Nagaland as a State within India.
Mr. Jamir had served as Chief Minister of the State for four times since 1980, twice as a member of Progressive United Democratic Front and then as a Congress member till 2003.
He served as Governor of Goa from July 2004 to July 2008. Following the resignation of Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna in March 2008, Mr. Jamir was given temporary additional charge of Maharashtra and formally appointed as Governor of the State on July the same year.
In July 2009, he took additional charge of Gujarat state during the medical absence and subsequent death of Governor-designate Devendra Nath Dwivedi.
The by-election in Aonglenden Assembly seat in Nagaland was earlier to take place on May eight.
On April 6, the Election Commission advanced by a day to May seven election following a request from the State government. The State government had requested the EC to change the polling date since Sunday would be inconvenient as voters, majority of them Christians in the constituency, would be attending services in churches.
