Govt safe with good number of MLAs: Nagaland CM

Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today asserted his government is secure with the support of adequate number of legislators from Naga People’s Front (NPF) and Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) partners. “I assure that my government is comfortable with the support of good number of legislators from NPF party and DAN alliance,” Zeliang said in a message to the people of the state, apparently to assuage public misgivings with regard to the political crisis in the NPF-led DAN government in Kohima. [caption id=“attachment_2032483” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Zeliang yesterday met the Governor with NPF president Shurhozelie and explained the status of the present government. “I am grateful to the Governor for his clear understanding of the latest political development in the state,” he said in his message. This, he said, is the second time within a span of seven months of his leadership that a situation had been created in the state by some disgruntled NPF elected members and termed it as “total disregard of the people’s mandate”. “It is a very sad thing that some elected members went all out to hijack the mandate of people unconstitutionally and brought the normal functioning of the government to grinding halt,” he said. Alleging some elected members from the dissident group have been “trying to influence people with all cheap propaganda and psychological gameplan through media” with the claim to have more number to form the government under a new leader, the chief minister significantly appealed to the people and all legislators not to be swayed by such “lies”. The chief minister faced an open rebellion on the night of 5 January with dissident NPF legislators claiming they have elected a new leader. Following the uprising, Zeliang sacked two ministers and suspended them, along with five other MLAs, from primary membership of reigning NPF for “conspiring to overthrow” the NPF-led government in Nagaland. More than 20 of 38 NPF dissident legislators, who are demanding change in state leadership, met at Dimapur on that day to elect Industries and Commerce Ministers G Kaito Aye as the new leader of the NPF Legislature Party and “empowered him to form the new government”. In a swift action, cracking the whip on dissidents, Zeliang then sacked Aye and Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu, the roads and bridges minister. Aye, along with his colleagues, met the Governor last evening and staked claim to form a new “popular” government in Nagaland. He was accompanied by four other NPF MLAs and one BJP MLA demanding immediate dismissal of the ‘minority’ government headed by Zeliang. PTI