Tinsukia: The NSCN (Khaplang) has impeached its chairman, "Lieutenant General" Khango Konyak for violating party discipline and appointed Yung Aung as the new "acting" chairman of the outfit.

The change in NSCN (K) leadership from Konyak, an Indian-origin Naga, to Aung, a Myanmar-origin Naga, during an executive meeting at the outfits's council headquarters on Friday, is seen as a "blow to any hopes" of peace talks with the outfit which abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian government in 2015 and launched the deadliest attack on the army in the Northeast.

This development is being seen as "significant" by the intelligence agencies here and comes close on the heels of the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) inching closer to finalise and sign the Naga peace accord to bring permanent solution to the Naga political problem to which all Naga warring groups, except the NSCN (K), are parties.

Sources in the intelligence agencies said an Indian-origin Naga would have been preferred over a Hemi Naga from Myanmar to make attempts to rope in the NSCN (K) in the Naga framework.

Aung, 45, nephew of the outfit's founding chairman, late Shangwang Shangyung Khaplang, was the "defence kilonser (minister)"of the outfit prior to his elevation and has deep links in China and close ties with Ulfa (I) supremo Paresh Barua and the Manipuri militant leadership.

The sources said the sudden move by the outfit is a bid to strengthen its position among Myanmar-origin Nagas as they are inching closer to sign a peace accord with the Myanmar government.

"The group was under local pressure. Konyak did not have command and respect among Myanmar-origin Nagas," a source said.

"The move may lead to defection within the NSCN (K), as the Konyak tribe and the Indian-origin Nagas will certainly be angered by it. This is likely to benefit the NSCN (I-M). However, a lot depends on the outlook of the NSCN (I-M), whose hands are tied because of the Naga framework and might not use the situation to their advantage," the source said.

The outfit, in a statement (a copy of which has been accessed by The Telegraph), said it unanimously resolved to impeach Khango for violating party discipline.

"He was found guilty of absolute control of powers and functions without collective leadership, non-distribution of powers and functions exposing a one-man government policy, incompatible traits which is against Article 9 of Section A and against Article 4 of Section C," the statement said. It termed his impeachment a necessity to "save" the party from further "breakdown and confusion".

The statement said the outfit would reserve its respect for Khango for his position as the senior-most party member and in recognition for his long service towards the cause of the nation, "he shall be unharmed and will be allowed a safe passage".