Nagaland plunged into a political crisis on Sunday with former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang staking claim to form a new government by ousting the incumbent Shurhozelie Liezietsu.
Mr. Zeliang claimed the support of 41 of the 59 MLAs in the Assembly and wrote to Governor P.B. Acharya, seeking an invitation to form the new Naga People’s Front (NPF)-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government at the earliest.
Along with this was attached a statement purportedly signed by 41 MLAs, expressing support to Mr. Zeliang and demanding that Mr. Liezietsu should step down immediately.
Mr. Zeliang, who had to step down on February 22 following State-wide protests against holding of polls to urban local bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women, asserted that he had got the support of 41 MLAs after a majority of the ruling NPF legislators rebelled against Mr. Liezietsu.
Letter to Governor
In the letter to the Governor, Mr. Zeliang claimed that at a meeting of the Legislature Party of the NPF on June 4, 34 party MLAs (including him) out of the total of 47, backed him to be their leader and wanted him to stake claim to form a new government. The MLAs also allegedly urged Mr. Liezietsu, who is yet to become a member of the Assembly, to resign and facilitate Mr. Zeliang to become the new Chief Minister, the letter said.
Mr. Zeliang also claimed that seven Independents had affirmed their support to him taking the tally to 41 out of 59 legislators.
Amid these developments, the CM dismissed four Ministers — Y. Patton (Home), C. Kipili Sangtam (Power), Imkong L Imchen (Forest) and Kaito Aye (PWD-NH). He had late on Saturday night issued separate termination orders against 11 parliamentary secretaries and Mr. Zeliang who was the financial adviser to the Chief Minister (Cabinet status).
“It’s an internal matter of the NPF. I’m close to all the members. My act shouldn’t amount to an interference. My only appeal is to sort out their internal differences so that any constitutional crisis is avoided and the development process is not hampered,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told The Hindu .
He said he won’t be able to comment on what the decision of the Governor could be but said Mr. Acharya had not sent any report to the Home Ministry yet.
The 34 NPF legislators, who have extended their support to Mr. Zeliang, have been camping at a resort in Kaziranga in Assam, where they held a meeting on Saturday, NPF sources said.
They told PTI on Saturday night that 33 MLAs were in Mr. Zeliang’s camp, while 11 each were in the camps of Mr. Liezietsu and Lok Sabha MP and former chief minister Neiphiu Rio.
The rest of the MLAs in the 60-member House are maintaining neutrality. One seat is vacant. The political crisis arose at a time when Mr. Liezietsu, also the NPF president, is gearing up for the July 29 by-election from the Northern Angami-I Assembly seat, vacated by his son.
Khriehu Liezietsu, son of the Chief Minister, had resigned on May 24 to enable his father to contest.
Meanwhile a statement purportedly issued by the 41 MLAs supporting Mr. Zeliang, said:
“Even as Dr. Shurhozelie is not an elected representative of the House, the members of the 12th Nagaland Assembly graciously made him the Chief Minister for a period of only six months.”
