Principal Correspondent
Kohima, March 14
The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Speaker, Chotisuh Sazo has issued a 20-day notice to all the ‘dissident NPF legislators’.
Talking to this correspondent, Sazo confirmed that the NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu had filed a ‘disqualification petition’ against the 20 dissident MLAs.
Sazo said that having received the petition, he had issued notice seeking the reply of the 20 NPF legislators on the disqualification petition from the State Assembly.
He said that the notice was issued on March 11 and the 20 NPF legislators should respond on or before March 30.
He said that only after the legislators submit their response to the Assembly notice, further decisions would be taken.
Meanwhile, NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has said that the ‘disqualification petition’ against the 20 dissident MLAs was filed as “they had voluntarily given up the membership of the NPF party by not returning to the main party”.On the other hand, legislators in Noke-led NPF expressed surprise to learn about the move of Dr. Shürhozelie while expressing confidence that it would not affect their membership from the NLA as they have neither gone against the party whip (in the February 5 trial of strength) nor voluntarily given up the NPF membership.
The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution is very clear on disqualification, which clearly states that a legislator can be disqualified from the Assembly only on grounds of defying the party whip or voluntarily giving up the membership of the party.
