Dr. Shurho had saved Rio: NPF

NPF press bureau, Kohima said the piquant situation occurred during the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN)-I government when Neiphiu Rio as then chief minister became leader of a minority group within the NPF but that he was saved by Dr. Shürhozelie.
NPF said that after the March 2003 assembly election, NPF party won 19 seats but was in a minority in the house when Neiphiu Rio led the NPF legislature party.
NPF press bureau said that by using the provisions of the Tenth Schedule to cause splits in several parties, 3 out of 5 NDM; 2 out of 3 JD(U) and 7 of the 21 Congress legislators split and merged with the NPF thereby raising its strength to 31 in the Nagaland Assembly for the party to be in majority on its own.
Later after the downsizing of ministry through the Constitution (Ninety first)Amendment Act 2003, which took effect on July 2004, NPF said Neiphiu Rio in compliance, dropped several ministers including Z.Obed and accommodated several parliamentary secretaries.
This led to dissidence when 18 NPF legislators clamoured for Z.Obed to be the leader and demanded change of leadership of the party legislature. At that time, NPF said Rio had only 13 legislators but then Dr. Shürhozelie, then NPF president, immediately “came to the rescue of Rio and stoutly defended him”.
The NPF press bureau said had it not been for the official party, the dissidents would have “slaughtered Rio in 2004 itself”.
However, the press bureau stated that Rio who was now “preaching a different canon” to T.R. Zeliang, had himself not stepped down to pressure from dissidents but continued to hold on to power.
In this regard, NPF said Rio who took the benefit as the leader of the party legislature, despite being in a minority within the party and with the “blessings of Dr. Shurhozelie, cannot now run with the hare and hunt with the hound”.
Further, it reminded that the principle under which Rio continued as leader, despite being in a minority till dissidence was quelled, “cannot be bent now just because he has become the leader of the rebel group”.