He switched over to Congress and won the seat in 1993 and became the Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation.
In the next two state assembly elections in 1998 and 2003, he fought the polls on Congress ticket and retained the seat. In 1998 he held the portfolio of Forest, Environment and Wild Life but after the next polls resigned and defected to Naga Peoples Front (NPF).
He took a brief break from politics on being elected to Rajya Sabha in 2004 but returned after a little over four years to contest the 2008 state assemly polls on a NPF ticket.
He was elected from his old seat and was appointed Minister for Planning & Coordination, Evaluation, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry and Parliamentary Affairs.
Zeliang was re-elected from the same constituency to the present house last year and was appointed the Minister for Planning and Coordination, Evaluation, and Geology and Mining in the Neiphiu Rio government.
He was appointed as chief minister yesterday following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio, who won the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat.
