NEPS
KOHIMA, JUNE 22
AN official notification on the merger of three NCP MLAs with the BJP in Nagaland is expected by Monday. The Nagaland Assembly has already received the additional documents from the three and also merger acceptance letter from the BJP National Party.
Talking to NEPS over phone from Guwahati, Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, who is reaching the State capital tomorrow, confirmed that his office had received additional documents from the three MLAs, Imtilemba Sangtam, Dr TM Lotha and Mmhonlumo Kikon and also a letter from National BJP Office accepting the merger of the three MLAs with the BJP in Nagaland.
Sazo hinted that he would examine the documents tomorrow. “Hopefully official notification of their merger with the BJP will be issued after I examine the documents,” he stated.
It may be mentioned that the three NCP MLAs along with their supporters formally merged with the BJP on June 16. However, another NCP MLA Khumo refused to join the BJP.
The Speaker said he has been examining their documents by consulting constitutional experts before issuing official acceptance from his office. Besides, he sought certain information from the three MLAs on whether there was any resolution of the NCP National deciding to merge their party with the BJP or any authorization to the State unit of NCP to take any decision in this regard and also whether there was any resolution of the BJP National accepting the merger of the NCP with BJP.
Parliamentary Secretary Dr TM Lotha said the documents submitted to Speaker’s Office on June 16 for formal merger of three NCP MLAs with their supporters with BJP was done by fulfilling all the laid down rules of the 10th Schedule of the Anti-Defection Law.
“Yet the Speaker has sought more documents which we have already submitted to his office,” a State BJP party functionary said. He hoped that the Speaker will issue official notification for the merger as they have fulfilled all the laid down rules of the 10th Schedule of the Anti-Defection Law.
