GUWAHATI: Following the dismissal of chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu’s writ petition by the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday, Nagaland governor green-lighted the floor test by calling for an emergent session of the Assembly on Wednesday.
Governor PB Acharya called for the emergent session at 09.30 am on Wednesday “to test the majority support of the present cabinet led by chief minister Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu”. Liezietsu had moved the court challenging Governor P B Acharya’s directive to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before July 15. The governor issued the directive after former CM TR Zeliang, armed with the written support of 34 of the 47 ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLAs, had staked claim to power. The NPF has issued whip to its MLAs (47) as regards Wednesday’s floor test.
The party warned that failure to comply would invite “consequences” as provided under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The NPF also decided to sever its 40-year-old ties with the BJP. The NPF also decided to approach the President of India to recall the governor “so that the sanctity of the gubernatorial office in the state is maintained in future”.
Now, Zeliang claims that he has the support of 43 MLAs — 36 from NPF and seven Independents — in the 60-member House which has an effective strength of 59 following the resignation of the CM’s son Khriehu Liezietsu. He resigned to help his unelected father get elected to the Assembly from his constituency.
After the CM’s petition was dismissed, a BJP delegation met the governor and submitted a letter confirming the support of BJP, which is a constituent of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), for Zeliang. “The BJP has decided to remain a constituent of the DAN group led by DAN chairman T R Zeliang,” the letter read.
Over the past few days, the CM has been critical of the BJP sniffing the hand of the party in the political crisis. Earlier when Zeliang broke the news about dismissal of CM’s writ petition, hesaid, “The petition has been dismissed. Now, the governor can act. He can apply Article 174 of the Constitution”. With the court ruling going against him, the CM can now move a higher court.
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