In the recent cabinet rejig, Chief Minister TR Zeliang removed six ministers from his ministry that was formed in July 2017. He later inducted seven Cabinet Ministers, as a part of implementing the reconciliation pact with his former rivals led by the ruling NPF party president. However in the latest reshuffle, some districts were left out from being allotted a cabinet berth to their representatives. It is an unprecedented move for a state which till the 91st Amendment to the Constitution, that limited the size of the council of ministers, was known for its jumbo cabinet, usually to maintain balance among the tribes.
After the 91st amendment came into effect in 2004, it has become a constant headache for the successive chief ministers. Cabinet and portfolios has to be allotted to almost all the ruling party and coalition legislators. It is usually done on the basis of seniority in the party, capability, coalition balance and representation from the districts and tribe. In a worst case scenario like the present tenure where the ruling party enjoys absolute majority but divided into many factions, the leaders among the groups with followers also have precedence over their other colleagues.
Therefore, the present tenure was dogged by revolt within the party that started immediately after it came to power in 2013 , all because of want for portfolios of choice. The workaround of appointing parliamentary secretaries with different portfolios by the chief minister also was not effective. Consequently the central headquarters of the NPF party office was vandalised and the chief minister’s residence was also surrounded by supporters. Whether it was related or not could not be confirmed but a party office was also burnt down in Dimapur in a suspected case of arson. Similar scenarios have been continuing since then in the other districts too with some directly attributable to portfolio allotment and some on other pretexts.
With regard to the present case, it is not necessarily the supporters but it has already attracted the attention of an apex tribe organisation of a particular district. Out of 4 legislators from the district, Wokha has no representative in the cabinet as two were dropped to accommodate the group that the chief minister reconciled with. Another major district, Kohima , where the state capital is situated also has no representatives with cabinet berth. The move undoubtedly seems strategic with the coming elections in mind as the districts or tribes with higher number of assembly constituencies were given more berths. The wisdom of the chief minister is yet to be tested, however the government has finally entered uncharted territory this time. Moreover, with the posts of parliamentary secretaries destined to be removed according to the Supreme Court ruling, uncertainty persists on the way government formation of the state will be done in the future. For Nagaland, although the case pending in the courts at present, the outcome will be on similar lines with the other judgments.
The many years of tribal representation, which although might not have been the most successful for governance is being tested at present. The many decades were in a way spent not for good governance but to appease the clans or tribes and rather to bring control. A very basic question also arises on the way how our pioneers envisioned the state to be. It obviously is in right direction according to the law but whether are people of the state are ready for it will be tested.
