T R Zeliang clinging on to chair unconstitutional: Noke led NPF

EMN DIMAPUR, JANUARY 31 The Noke led NPF alleged that the clinging of T R Zeliang to the chair of the chief minister is unconstitutional and illegal. “The reality is that TR Zeliang is clinging on to the chair of chief minister in an unconstitutional and illegal manner. It is indeed shameful to observe that he refuses to step down despite conclusive proof and evidence that he has lost majority support,” said the Noke led NPF in a press statement. “The barrage of propaganda and false lies fired by the ex-president, even to the extent of speaking on behalf of the Union Home minister and even the Prime Minister speaks volumes of his state of mind and the desperate situation he has landed in. It is nothing but an attempt to keep his camp intact, but how long can he keep fooling the people and the honorable elected members,” the statement added.Recalling the events, the Noke led NPF said that in 2013, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) contested the Assembly elections as part of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN). The BJP and the JD (U) were members of this pre-poll alliance. The NPF had projected Neiphiu Rio as the chief ministerial candidate of the DAN coalition. The NPF won 38 seats while the BJP and the JD(U) won one seat respectively. The people and the electorate of the state had given an overwhelming mandate to the NPF which was unprecedented. The result of the 2013 election and the 2014 Lok Sabha election is clear indication that the people and electorate of Nagaland had given its mandate to the NPF under the leadership of Neiphiu Rio, the statement also recalled. “As indicated in the local media on January 31, 2015, the NPF under the newly elected President Shri Noke Wangnao and the Leader of the NPF Legislature Party, Shri G. Kaito Aye have the overwhelming support of the majority of the NPF Legislators and the NPF party organization. Their leadership is supported by 22 NPF MLAs (out of 38 MLAs), 10 NPF divisions (out of 13 divisions), 44 area a/c units (out of 60 units) and both the Members of Parliament from Nagaland including all central office bearers. The pictures and photographs of the above mentioned persons have been published in the local media so that the people of Nagaland are clearly informed in a transparent and honest manner,” it stated. “The above facts prove beyond doubt that the leadership of Shri Noke Wangnao and Shri G. Kaito Aye has the overwhelming support of the people’s mandate. It is with this mandate that we have demanded the resignation of the minority chief minister TR Zeliang as he no longer enjoys the mandate or support of the elected members nor of the NPF party organization,” the statement added. It then said, likewise the ‘ex-president’ Dr. Shurhozelie was removed from his position since the party organization and the NPF leaders at all levels had rejected his dictatorial and autocratic style of functioning, especially since he had disqualified elected members instead of respecting the majority view within the party. The Election Commission of India in its letter dated 27th January, 2015 has not addressed Dr. Shurhozelie as NPF president. “This means that he is no longer recognized as the president of the party. Once the formalities are over, no amount of lies, false propaganda or reports will save him from facing the truth,” it stated. According to Noke led NPF, in a democracy, the majority can never be suppressed and no matter what the ex-president may say, the bottom line is that majority will be given priority above everything else. This has been the guideline for the Election Commission of India on all past occasions whenever a similar dispute has arisen, it added. “The leadership of Noke Wangnao cannot be challenged as he has the clear majority of elected representatives in the State legislature and Parliament recognizing his presidentship. This is the determining factor in parliamentary democracy over and above the fact that the majority of the party organization is also firmly behind Noke Wangnao’s leadership,” the statement also said. Dragging the Prime Minister’s name unfortunate: Imkong Imchen Noke led NPF Legislature Party spokesman Imkong Imchen said the statements issued by the ‘ex-president’ Dr. Shurhozelie and the Chief Minister’s Office whereby they have dragged the name of all the top leaders of the country including the Prime Minister is indeed unfortunate and despicable. According to Imkong Imchen, it is nothing but their last desperate attempt to keep their camp together. “The minority chief minister TR Zeliang has been quoted in The Telegraph issued dated 31st January, 2015 where he said, there is no point in going for a compromise with the members led by Noke and Kaito. However our doors remain open to all our party men and women to come and join the majority. For us, all NPF members are members of our family and we will never close the doors on any of our family members,” he added. Imkong Imchen then said that today, Dr. Shurhozelie and TR Zeliang are dancing at the doorsteps of the BJP leaders in Delhi and Dimapur but they are the two individuals who are solely responsible for the disqualification of the BJP MLAs. “However, they have time and again sold off the image of the Honorable Speaker, by putting the whole blame of the disqualification episode on the Speaker’s head. Even on their most recent trip to Delhi this time, when BJP leaders questioned them on the disqualification, they once again shifted the blame to the Speaker,” he stated. Imkong also said that T R Zeliang and Dr Shurhozelie have perhaps not forgotten that the state’s machinery and legal adviser were used to contest against the BJP in court to uphold the disqualification of BJP MLAs even though the BJP was very much part of the State Government. Imkong alleged that it was the ‘ex-president’ Dr. Shurhozelie who refused to entertain the BJP for seat sharing in the assembly elections despite having a coalition with the BJP and he insisted on so called friendly contests in all the seats where the BJP had fielded candidates. After boycotting the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Dr. Shurhozelie is desperately running from door to door of the BJP leaders begging for support. Dr. Shurhozelie and the minority chief minister are fully responsible for damaging the relationship between the BJP and the State Government. “Having realized that he is no longer recognized as the NPF President by the Election Commission of India, he has become like the toothless tiger which he once described Dr. SC Jamir to be. Since he has become toothless, he is resorting to false propaganda and spreading of lies. His words no longer hold any water or any truth,” Imkong added.