Political crisis in Nagaland
The crisis within Nagaland’s Naga People’s Front (NPF) government has further deepened with Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu sacking four top ministers and 10 Parliamentary Secretaries following a demand for his removal on Sunday.
Ex-CM Zeliang stakes claim to form govt
Kohima : The crisis within Nagaland’s Naga People’s Front (NPF) government has further deepened with Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu sacking four top ministers and 10 Parliamentary Secretaries following a demand for his removal on Sunday.
Liezietsu recommended Governor P B Acharya to remove Home Minister Yanthungo Patton, Power Minister Kipili Sangtam, National Highway and Political Affairs Minister G. Kaito Aye, Forest and Environment and Climate Change Minister Imkong L Imchen from the Cabinet.
The development comes a day after his predecessor, T R Zeliang wrote to the Governor, staking claim to form a new government. He claimed he has the support of 33 NPF legislators and seven Independents. Liezietsu, who is also the NPF supremo, has also sacked four NPF legislators and six Independent legislators, as Parliamentary Secretaries.
The Nagaland government issued notifications terminating the appointment of Zeliang as Advisor (Finance) and Nuklotoshi as Advisor to Chief Minister.
Apart from the sackings, the NPF Disciplinary Action Committee which met on Saturday also suspended 10 legislators from the party’s primary membership.
Those suspended include Patton, Sangtam, Aye, Imchen, as well as Shetoyi, Nuklutoshi, Deo Nukhu, Naiba Konyak, Benjongliba and Zeliang. Zeliang, along with 41 legislators, is camping at Borgos resort in Assam`s Kaziranga National Park. "All 41 of us are intact and we are waiting only for Governor Acharya to invite Zeliang to form the government," Imchen said.
In his letter to the Governor, Zeliang said: "The legislators also urged the present Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu, who is a non-legislator, to resign and pave way for me (Zeliang) to take over as the Chief Minister." Acharya is in Maharashtra and he is expected to return to Nagaland in a few days.
The fresh political instability has come at a time when Liezietsu is gearing up for the July 29 by-election from the Northern Angami-I Assembly constituency.
Liezietsu was sworn in as Chief Minister on February 22 this year after Zeliang resigned following violent protest by tribal groups who were opposed to his move to hold civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women.
In the truncated 59-member assembly, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland coalition government comprises 47 NPF legislators, four Bharatiya Janata Party and eight Independents.
