Twelve councillors moved a no-confidence motion against Dimapur Municipal Council chairperson Hukheto Yepthomi.
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DIMAPUR — All is apparently not well within the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) after 12 elected members moved a no-confidence motion against chairperson Hukheto Yepthomi, exposing deepening cracks within the ruling coalition in the civic body.
The motion was submitted to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dimapur on May 11, challenging the leadership of the chairperson and the functioning of the municipality amid an ongoing internal political standoff.
The no-confidence motion was reportedly initiated by 12 elected representatives, including six councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and six from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), led by deputy chairperson Imlinaro Stephanie Ezung.
It is worth noting that the DMC comprises 23 elected wards along with nominated members appointed by the government. However, the nominated members do not possess voting rights.
According to the provisions of Nagaland Municipal Act, 2023, the deputy commissioner is empowered to convene a floor test within seven days from the date of submission of the no-confidence motion.
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A source from the dissident camp informed Eastern Mirror that the councillors backing the motion are currently camped somewhere in Assam following the development. They are awaiting communication from the DC regarding the date for the floor test.
The source informed that BJP councillors had been demanding equitable distribution of responsibilities within the municipality to ensure balanced governance and development in Dimapur.
The source further claimed that representatives from coalition partners were not adequately accommodated in the functioning of the municipality.
According to sources, the political crisis within the DMC began in December 2025 after the chairperson allegedly altered the assignments of councillors, a move that reportedly led to litigation and further strained relations among coalition partners.
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The no-confidence motion was necessitated after BJP councillors alleged that they were being systematically sidelined in the governance structure of the civic body.
Speaking to a local news channel, Nagaland BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi claimed that BJP councillors had not been assigned responsibilities since the urban local body (ULB) elections were held in the state.
He alleged that the DMC chairperson had neither allotted any chairmanship positions nor accommodated BJP councillors in the administrative functioning of the municipality.
Drawing comparisons with other urban local bodies in the state, Benjamin said that responsibilities in several municipal and town councils were being shared among coalition partners. He cited the example of Wokha Town Council, where an NPF chairperson was functioning alongside a BJP deputy chairperson.
On the move against the incumbent chairperson, Benjamin stated that as party president, he was duty-bound to listen to the grievances of party members.
He added that BJP councillors had decided to support the deputy chairperson as she had expressed willingness to accommodate BJP representatives in the functioning of the DMC.