Nagaland Government and Opposition Jostle for Power

NEW DELHI: The political scene in Nagaland is hotting up.

On Tuesday, while the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government claimed ‘majority’ support by the NPF legislators for the incumbent Chief Minister TR Zeliang, the same day, the dissident group led by G Kaito Aye held a meeting which resolved to dismiss the “minority government”.

DAN spokesperson Yitachu said that Zeliang’s leadership has the support of 25 of the total 42 legislators of the Naga People’s Front (NPF). This affirmation was made in the crucial meetings of NPF Legislature Party and DAN Legislature Party which was attended by 25 out of the 52 members.

On the other hand, Kaito-led Resolution Committee of the NPF Legislature Party was also held the same day. The meeting resolved to urge the Governor of the State, PB Acharya, to “dismiss the minority Government headed by TR Zeliang with immediate effect and allow the majority leader elect G. Kaito Aye to form the Government”.

They further resolved to “stand united and work wholeheartedly in strengthening the Party under the leadership of NPF President Noke Wangnao and Leader of the NPF Legislature Party G. Kaito Aye” .

Additionally, they urged the members of NPF who were “currently in TR Zeliang’s camp to come and join the legitimate majority led by the NPF Legislature Party leader G. Kaito Aye in the greater interest of the Party and the people of the State”.

On Monday, Nagaland Governor PB Acharya had rejected the request of the Cabinet to hold a special session of the state Assembly for a trial of strength.

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang-led cabinet recommended this move in order to show support for the NPF-led DAN government, in its current leadership of Zeliang.

Both the factions of the ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF)- the present one under Zeliang and the dissident group seeking the leadership in G. Kaito Aye, are trying to win the support of the Governor as well as the Centre.

Interestingly, both the camps are claiming to a majority and had met the Governor in this regard.

On the one hand, NPF’s President Shurhozelie Liezietsu backed Zeliang’s request to the Governor of summoning a special session in order to resolve the present imbroglio, on the other, the dissident group, claiming to have 25 legislators, including 22 NPF and three BJP, also met Acharya last week to discuss the formation of a new government under Aye’s leadership terming the present one as the “minority government”.

It is pertinent to mention here that out of the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, Naga People’s Front has a total of 38 members supported by pre-poll alliance partners – four BJP and one JD(U) while one NCP and 8 Independent MLAs are also extending outside support to it. Opposition Congress has 8 members.

Further, NPF President made it clear that the alliance partners of NPF-led DAN cannot extend support to the dissident group as they are pre-poll ally of NPF.

Also, claiming that the government could only be formed by the “official” party and not by a group with vested interest, NPF members from within chief minister T.R. Zeliang’s camp asserted that the DAN as an alliance was formed by political parties and not by elected members , also pointing out that BJP was a pre-poll alliance partner of the NPF.

However, both the camps are leaving no stone unturned to get the support of the BJP-led NDA government.

The dissident group members, including former chief minister Neiphiu Rio and chief ministerial candidate G. Kaito Aye returned from Delhi unable to meet any of the top brass of the BJP.

Even the governing NPF had to meet the same fate.

Zeliang along with president of his faction of NPF Shurhozelie Liezietsu also reached home high and dry after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh and other top leaders of the BJP had refused to meet them as well.

However, both the camps also said that the BJP does not want to meddle in the internal crisis of their party.

Both the factions further made it clear that no matter whichever faction gets the majority, the party would remain with the ruling DAN.

Earlier, Minister for PHE Noke Wangnao and another NPF MLA Imkong L Imchen were suspended from the party for their anti-party activities, a day after two other ministers were sacked along with the suspension of five other MLAs from primary membership of ruling NPF.

Altogether, the NPF has suspended a total of three ministers, five parliamentary secretaries and one MLA from the party.