Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Mar. 6 (EMN): Governor PB Acharya on Tue. appointed Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader, Neiphiu Rio as the chief minister of Nagaland under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution of India.
In a letter addressed to Rio, the governor acknowledged receiving of support letters in Rio’s favour from legislators of BJP, JD (U) and an independent MLA besides NDPP legislators.
The governor has proposed to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new Council of Ministers on Mar. 8 at 11.30 am in Khouchiezie ground, Kohima.
Acharya has also asked Rio to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before Mar. 16.
TR Zeliang resigns
A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled out the possibility of renewing its 15-year-old alliance with the Naga People’s Front (NPF), chief minister TR Zeliang has resigned.
The BJP had made it clear that it would stick with its pre-poll ally NDPP to form a new coalition government in Nagaland on Mar. 5. Zeliang submitted his resignation along with those of his council of ministers to Governor PB Acharya on Tue. afternoon and the latter has accepted the same.
Addressing a press conference after stepping down, Zeliang said his efforts and priority had been and will remain for solution to Naga political issue. He said though settlement to the issue could not be achieved during his tenure, his ministry had done its best. He also acknowledged all the organisations for their cooperation towards bring settlement to the decades long political problem. “Only settlement can bring about permanent peace in Nagaland,” he stated.
Talking about the recently held election, Zeliang expressed dismay that ‘people got aggressive’ right after the declaration of the results saying he was refusing to resign.
“Nobody has demanded my resignation till today. The 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly tenure will expire on 14th March.... dissolution of the government has to come from the Election Commission, after that, it is for the chief minister to recommend to the governor to dissolve the house. Thereafter, the formation of new government question comes,” Zeliang said. He said he was yet to know if the notification has come from the ECI to dissolve the 12th house and therefore, demanding his resignation was premature.
He also went on to explain that he staked claim to form the next government as NPF emerged as the single largest political party, and also the party’s pre-poll agreement with the JD (U) and NPP.
“The fact that the electorate in Nagaland have given 27 seats to the NPF is a factor that has to be taken into account in all political processes including those of development and peace in Nagaland,” Zeliang asserted. With that in view, he said he had proposed to the BJP leadership: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in separate communications on Mar. 3, to “know the stand of BJP”.
However, in the light of the BJP announcing that it was officially severing ties with NPF on Mar.5 and after confirming the position of the JD (U) and NPP who took a u-turn on the pre-poll agreement with NPF, Zeliang said he decided to step down with his council of ministers.
He thanked his cabinet colleagues, all the elected members, officers of the state, church leaders, civil society, NPF party, national and regional leaders and the media for having extended cooperation during his tenure as chief minister. He also thanked the electorate of Nagaland who have given a ‘massive mandate in favour of NPF’ making it the single largest party in the 13th house with 27 seats.
He assured that the NPF legislature will extend full support to the new government wherever the action of the government is in the larger interest of the Naga people besides playing a constructive role of opposition in ‘furthering the overall cause of the Nagas’.
“I did my best as chief minister and I will do my best as opposition leader,” Zeliang stated. He congratulated rival and successor Neiphiu Rio, who will be taking over the top post, and the new government to be formed under him.
Governor PB Acharya has dissolved the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Mar. 6 after receiving the notification for constituting the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly from the Election Commission of India.
A press release from PRO Raj Bhavan today informed that the notification with the list of the newly elected members to the 60-member assembly was submitted to the governor by officials from the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer Nagaland.
