NPF central office bearers, including frontals, cells, divisions and assembly constituency committees took stock of the political situation in Kohima on January 15 where chief minister T.R.Zeliang, DAN coordination committee chairman and NPF president Dr.Shürhozelie Liezietsu and DAN coalition ministers, advisors, chairmen and legislators also attended.
NPF press bureau said the chief minister, while lamenting on the “dissident camp’s activities”, reminded that , despite persisting appeals not to leave, Neiphiu Rio decided to leave the state for parliament last year after which the party and its MLAs consensually chose him (T.R.Zeliang) to lead the party legislature.
However, Zeliang said Noke and Kaito were “not comfortable with the probity and proactive leadership of the government” and grouped to defy him as the consensual choice by commencing the “first batch of dissidence” .
He said the Kaziranga episode was “only aimed at securing the integrity of the party’s consensual choice”and that there had been no demand for a majority test within the NPF legislature then.
Zeliang said the Kaziranga episode was also “quite different” from the current crisis between the official party in Kohima and the “unconstitutional ones at Sovima” where all efforts and appeals to the “dissident group to return to the mainstream of the party fell on deaf ears”.
He said under the prevailing situation, there was no other alternative but to seek constitutional method of ending the crisis where the cabinet (on Thursday) recommended a special session of the assembly and submitted it to the Governor. In his speech, NPF president Dr.Shürhozelie urged upon the legislators and party workers to rally behind the “official flag of the party” as it alone was recognised by the Election Commission of India adding “ this(NPF Kohima)is the main group and those in Sovima are the dissidents”. He said the party’s chief whip has to be appointed by the party president under paragraph 2(10)(b) of the Tenth Schedule and that he alone, was recognised by the Election Commission of India.
Dr.Shürhozelie maintained that Kiyanilie Peseyie “is the chief whip” of the party whose name was accepted and notified by the Speaker. He said neither Noke nor Kaito nor Kuzholuzo claiming to be president, leader of party legislature and chief whip, respectively, are recognised either by the Election Commission of India or the Speaker.
He also said that holding the NPF general convention required at least five to six months preparation and circulated and published in paper “30 clear days time to hold the general conference”.
Dr.Shürhozelie said the NPF shall strictly adhere to the party constitution “but dissident group has no constitution and they cannot borrow our constitution”.
He said NPF chief whip Kiyanilie is to issue a three-line whip to cover all elected under the Cock symbol and any legislator going against the party whip would be inviting disqualification.
Those who spoke at the meeting also include Independent, JDU and NCP legislators and where Er.Levi(independent) thanked the NPF president for enlightening them on the crisis adding all of them were with the NPF at their own volition. The meeting was chaired by NPF secretary general K.G.Kenye after invocation by Kejong Chang parliamentary secretary.
Thursday, February 19, 2026