Nagaland political crisis: Shurhozelie Liezietsu fails to turn up for floor test; House adjourned

Kohima: Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his supporters failed to turn up in the Assembly to face the floor test on Wednesday following which the House was adjourned sine die. On Tuesday, Governor PB Acharya had directed Speaker Imtiwapang to summon an emergent special session of the assembly at 9.30 am for the chief minister, who is facing a rebellion from MLAs of his party Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), to seek confidence vote. [caption id=“attachment_3829039” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Shurhozelie Liezietsu. NPFWeb.org[/caption] Former chief minister TR Zeliang, leader of the rebel NPF MLAs, was present in the House along with his followers. The motion to prove the majority of the chief minister could not be taken up as he was not present and the House was adjourned sine die, Speaker Imtiwapang said. The speaker said, he will report the proceedings of the House to the Governor. Efforts to contact legislators of the Liezietsu camp turned futile as they did not take calls. Acharya had asked the speaker to convene the special session after the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday dismissed the chief minister’s plea to stay the governor’s directive to him to seek a trust vote by 15 July. Liezietsu had filed the petition on 14 July and the court had issued an interim order staying the governor’s directive till 17 July. Acharya had on 11 and 13 July directed Liezietsu, who is facing rebellion by 43 ruling NPF MLAs led by Zeliang demanding change of leadership in the present House of 59, to seek vote of confidence on or before 15 July. Zeliang, who was forced out of office in February following large-scale protests over holding of urban local bodies election with 33 percent reservation for women, had staked claim to form the government saying he had majority support in the House. Four BJP legislators and Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu yesterday called on the governor and submitted a letter supporting Zeliang. BJP is a pre-poll alliance partner of the NPF and a constituent of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government in the state.