Lone Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland Wangyuh Konyak of NPF party has received both accolades as well as brickbats for defying the party’s directive and voting in favour of the UPA government in the trust motion on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Rio, NPF flay
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF party have condemned Wangyuh’s action and said the party would appropriate action against the MP for violating the party’s directive issued on July 9.
Talking to mediapersons in Kohima, Rio termed Wangyuh’s action as “unfortunate and a betrayal of the party and the people.” The chief minister also regretted that the Congress party had “resorted to negative means to win the trust vote by using bribery in luring the MPs to vote in favour of the motion or abstain from the voting.”
The central office bearers of the NPF party, which held an emergency meeting Wednesday at the NPF central office, Kohima, under the chairmanship of the party’s working president Dr. VC Kanito, also condemned the alleged culture of the Congress party in encouraging and promoting bribery and luring of MPs and MLAs and indulging in horse trading. NPF associate press secretary Shilu Mar in a press release said Wangyuh Konyak who was elected as MP by the Naga people with a record winning margin of 4.5 lakh, had intentionally betrayed the trust of the Naga people and “bitterly betrayed” the NPF. NPF further informed that the party would take necessary action against Wangyuh.
CLP fetes
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has congratulated Lok Sabha MP W Wangyuh Konyak for supporting the UPA government during the trust vote. Parliamentary secretary, CLP, K V Pusa in a press release said Wangyuh’s decision was highly appreciated as he had done it for the larger interest of the country and the downtrodden people.
“It is well known fact that Indo-US nuclear deal once materialized would immensely help our country, especially for poverty alleviation. But it is unfortunate that some people are trying to oppose this simply for their self-fish interest and reasons,” CLP said.
Meanwhile, NPCC has refuted the claim of BJP leader M C Konyak that the State Congress had purchased Wangyuh to vote in favour of the trust vote.
Terming MC Konyak’s claims as “nothing but a figment of imagination,” NPCC president Hokheto Sumi in a press release said the NPCC had only made a fervent appeal to the lone MP from Nagaland, to leave aside petty political ideology differences and support the UPA Government during the trust vote in the Parliament, considering the importance and necessity of nuclear energy for the State of Nagaland in particular and the Nation as a whole.
“Making such statement without any substantiation is an act of immature politics,” NPCC added.
An eye opener: BJP
BJP Nagaland has said the trust vote was an eye opener for the DAN coalition to select trustworthy representatives on whom Nagas could repose their faith. Vice president and spokesman, Nagaland BJP, TL Merry in a press release said the DAN leadership had made it clear that Wangyuh should vote against the motion. Even, the State BJP president Ato Yepthomi had gone to Delhi to persuade Wangyuh and to ensure “accountability,” he said.
However, Wangyuh “defied the coalition’s directive and swapped the invaluable, sacred Naga vote in the Parliament purportedly for his personal interest,” the party added.
A separate press release issued by media cell convenor, State BJP, Imkong Imchen informed that parliamentary secretary for I& FC, Y Patton had asked the MP to step down saying the latter had no moral right to remain as MP.
Patton also said despite repeated reasoning and persuasion by NPF president, State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi, the MP had violated DAN policies.
Meanwhile, as fallout to Wangyuh’s action, the MP’s press secretary Basu Damani has tendered resignation from the post of press secretary with immediate effect. Damani in a press
Monday, February 16, 2026