Principal Correspondent
Kohima, Jul 22
Even as the merger of three NCP MLAs was officially declared and accepted by the BJP on June 16, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Speaker Chotisuh Sazo did not accept the merger.
Talking to this correspondent over-phone, before the Assembly Session on Monday, Sazo was clear that some procedures to be followed as the issue were still not in place. The matter too was ‘little complicated’ because of which no decision had been made and any decision before the Assembly session , which commenced today was unlikely.
Sazo was clear that before any decision the MLA’s in question would be considered amongst the BJP or their erstwhile party (NCP).The three MLAs – Imtilemba Sangtam (then NCP president), Dr. TM Lotha (Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism) and Mmhonlumo Kikon will have to continue as NCP members in the ensuing Assembly.
Sazo maintained that previously in such cases, there were provisions for the members to attend the session as ‘unattached members’ but the provision does not exist anymore and therefore they will have to continue as NCP MLAs during this session.
Following the merger of three MLAs, Parliamentary Secretary for Land Revenue, Village Guard, Dobashis & Gaon Burahs, L. Khumo is the only remaining NCP legislator in the state while BJP which was having just one member in the house of 60 with P. Paiwang Konyak was increased to four.
Mention may be made here that declaring the merger on June 16, Dr. Lotha had said that since the BJP had come to power at the national level and now that the NCP was not a party to the NDA government, “we wanted to strengthen the BJP in Nagaland to bring about more development in the interest of the electorates of the state”.
It may also be recalled that NCP Nagaland Unit had revealed that “NCP Legal Cell in New Delhi has officially written to the Speaker of NLA to disqualify the three MLAs from the House” while also suspending them from the party.
