Veteran Bhandari legislator served as Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Minister
Former Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and former Cabinet Minister ET Ezung died at Dimapur on Thursday, October 1, at the age of 76.
Ezung, a veteran politician from Wokha district, had a long association with Nagaland’s electoral and public life, having represented the 40-Bhandari Assembly Constituency in different terms and served in several important positions in the state government.
He was first elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly from Bhandari on an Indian National Congress ticket in 1982 and was re-elected in 1989. He later returned to the Assembly in 2003 on the NDM ticket and subsequently contested successfully from the constituency in 2008, 2013 and 2018, according to the Wokha District Congress Committee.
Ezung also served as Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and held several ministerial portfolios during his political career. The Speaker of the present Assembly, Sharingain Longkumer, in a condolence message, described Ezung as a three-time member of the Assembly and noted his contributions to public service and community institutions.
The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) also mourned his death, with NPCC president and Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir describing Ezung as a veteran Congress leader who had remained actively associated with the party in different capacities.
Ezung served as Working President of the NPCC from 2018 to 2020 and was a member of the party’s Political Affairs Committee at the time of his death, according to the Wokha District Congress Committee.
The Ex-Parliamentarians Association of Nagaland (Ex-PAN) also expressed grief over his death, describing him as a senior member who continued to contribute to the organisation and served as its district representative from Wokha.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio also mourned Ezung’s passing, recalling his role in public life and his association with the Joint Legislators’ Forum, through which elected representatives across political affiliations engaged collectively on the Naga political issue.
Ezung is survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter.
MT
