Nagaland Governor, P.B. Acharya has repeated his request on chief minister Dr. Shürhozelie “to positively prove his majority on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly” on or before July 15, 2017, PRO to Governor informed in a statement.
Responding to Dr. Liezietsü’s letter on Thursday, Acharya said the chief minister’s refusal to summon an emergent session of the 12th NLA did not seem justified. Acharya pointed out that the chief minister in his reply did not refute the claim of T.R. Zeliang of enjoying support of 44 MLAs in a house of 59. He contended that it was not whether “this issue” was an internal party matter of NPF but whether the CM enjoyed the support of the majority of the members of the House.
Acharya also informed Dr. Liezietsü that, from the material available “it prima facie appeared that the chief minister had lost the support of the majority of the Members of the House.” The Governor therefore requested the chief minister to call for emergent session of the 12th NLA to prove his majority on the floor of the House as early as possible.
On the plea of bye-election being another issue, the Governor opined that the bye-election was for only one constituency. In an indignant tone, Acharya said “by no stretch of imagination it can be presumed that because of this (bye-election) the Council of Ministers cannot recommend the summoning of a special session of the State Assembly.”
Acharya made it clear of being convinced that Zeliang had majority support of 41 MLAs among the 59 legislators of the DAN government. He told The Indian Express in Delhi that he has asked chief minister Shürhozelie that he “must take the floor test by Saturday. If he fails to do, I will take whatever step the Constitution prescribes.”
Acharya reiterated that it was not a matter of the NPF but the DAN, in which Shürhozelie clearly did not have majority with him.
He further opined that though Shürhozelie was the chief minister, he was yet to become an elected member. He described Shürhozelie as nominated by the DAN legislature party but that it was T.R.Zeliang who was the actual leader of the House from among the elected members. “Moreover, Zeliang is also the DAN chairman,” Acharya said.
Meanwhile, the 41 NPF and Independent MLAs who have been camping in a resort in Kaziranga National Park could not return to Kohima on Thursday in view of the unprecedented floods that had inundated more than 75% of the Park area. They will be evacuated by boats on Friday morning so that they can leave for Kohima, sources told The New Indian Express.
BJP MLAs to be inducted: The consultative meeting of senior NPF members with the chief minister and cabinet colleagues on Thursday decided to induct three BJP MLAs- one minister and two parliamentary secretaries. BJP will now have two cabinet ministers.