Kohima, March 26: The consensus candidate of the DAN Government, TR Zeliang has won today for the lone Rajya Sabha (RS) seat from Nagaland by defeating seating Congress RS Member, Apok Jamir by a margin of 28 votes.

Nagaland Assembly has 60 members - 45 including Speaker belong to DAN while 15 to Congress.

43 voted in favor of DAN candidate while 15 in favor of Congress candidate.

One Member of DAN was absent while one vote was found invalid.

Congress MLA Takatiba Masa, however, argued that invalid votes were four not one but added that their complaint was overruled by the Returning Officer.

Talking to media persons soon after the results were declared, Zeliang said his top priority as RS MP from Nagaland would be to "work for the solution of the Naga political problem and the overall economic development under the guidance of the Common Minimum Program formulated by DAN".

Praising God for choosing him as the representative of the Nagas to the Indian parliament at a time when the "dialogue is going on between the NSCN and the Government of India" for the settlement of the "long pending Naga political problem, Zeliang assured the Naga people that he would dedicate his service to the "cause of the Nagas" to whom he represented.

Stating that he would take all necessary steps to convince the leaders and people of the country about the core issues of the Naga problem through RS, the newly elected RS Member said he would work tirelessly to strengthen" the hands of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as well as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Chief Minister Rio also extended his gratitude on behalf of the NFP to all the political parties in the DAN component - BJP, JD (U), SP and Independents.

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