Says it is illogical for a 26-member party to follow a party with only 12 legislators
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 9 (EMN): Against the backdrop of allegations between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the latter on Tuesday indicated that it would not hesitate to seize any opportunity to come back to power.
Opposition leader TR Zeliang, addressing the NPF central executive council (CEC) meeting, asserted the speculations that NPF was offering its seats to the BJP and trying to lure the JD (U), NPP and independent MLAs have emerged from the ‘NDPP camp’. He said the PDA partners were ‘not happy’ and were fighting within themselves out of frustration.
The NPF, with 26 MLAs in the house of 60 (presently 59), is looking to grab any opportunity that might come their way. “Coalition with any party will be worked out for stability. We will not go to just form the government, but to provide stability and development,” Zeliang said.
Supplementing this assertion, party president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu also said, “Anticipating taking over the government sooner or later, the (NPF) party is going ahead to reorganise and make necessary adjustment in the functioning of the party at all levels.”
The party president dismissed the NDPP’s allegation that Zeliang had recently approached the BJP leadership at Delhi. “Though this was a direct challenge for our parliamentary leader to counter with, one should not give importance to such baseless utterances,” Liezietsu stated.
Zeliang had also dispelled the possibility of a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP or even offering chief minister berth, stating it was illogical that a 26-member party should follow a party with only 12 members. Over all, he reiterated, the PDA was nervous because of its own doing.
He further alleged that all the works that were being carried out were approved during his time while some of the repair works for Kohima and Dimapur did not have any specification, therefore, he said the present government was only publicising their announcements in order to ‘borrow money’.
The opposition leader also claimed that the PDA failed to introduce even a single new scheme in any government department in the last seven months. Alleging discrepancies in Rural Development department, Zeliang wondered why the state was yet to receive any fund in regard to the MGNREGA. He said the government of India does not stall in sanctions but since Nagaland was the last state in the country to receive its due till September last, he remarked that the reason could be non-furnishing of utilisation certificates. When the PDA government was not able to rope in the state’s due, he questioned how they were going to bring in special/additional packages, particularly for the backward areas.
All the above issues, Zeliang said, were making the PDA ‘scared’ that they are forgetting their prime responsibility: good governance, transparency and accountability, which they announced at several occasions. He further questioned the NDPP-led PDA of making announcements without any concrete vision.
According to MLA Yitachu, PDA was insecure because they don’t want to sit in the opposition and one of the reasons they were scared was the Election Commission of India (ECI) case relating to the registration of NDPP, he said the NDPP sought four weeks for counter reply but failed to give its counter reply, therefore, the petitioner on October 6, requested the ECI to list the petition for hearing on any day.
In this connection, Zeliang had also pointed out that if the ECI passes its judgment against the recognition of the party, all the 17 NDPP legislators would be disqualified. Then, he said, NPF alone can run the government in the house of 41. However, he said until that happens, the NPF will need to form a coalition government and the party would work out possible means to return to power.
In regard to the discussions that took place in the NLA during the last session with regard to Nagaland government property in Kolkata, Zeliang reminded that due to previous agreements, the 11-storey building was leased on a throwaway price but when the agreement expired recently, the PDA government failed to take up the issue. He said where the state government was supposed to be getting a revenue of INR 2.2 cr. per month, it has been getting only INR 5 lac and the present government has agreed to increase the meagre amount by INR 2 lac without questioning or challenging the court order which ruled in favour of the lessee CEEPL.
Similarly, he pointed out that the state government was losing out revenue generation by renting out government property at ‘throwaway prices’ even in the state. He cited that the Millennium tourist lodge was being leased on INR 15,000 to Abu Metha. “Can you imagine? Such a huge building at INR 15,000 per month,” he exclaimed, asserting that others might keep silent but not the NPF.
Meanwhile, the NPF CEC resolved to ‘strongly denounce the wild allegations’ levelled against the leader of the NPF Legislature Party. Dispelling ‘rumours spread by the adversaries’ to create misunderstanding within the party, the CEC affirmed that both the party set up and the NPF legislature wing were intact and would continue to function in tandem with one another.
The party registered its unhappiness over the functioning of the PDA government, particularly on the road conditions in the state and other developmental activities which it asserted, were ‘totally neglected’ by the present government. Towards this, the party urged upon the PDA government to ‘immediately stop blaming the weather and restore the road in the state’.
The NPF also reiterated its stand on integration of all contiguous Naga areas as enshrined in the party’s constitution. It made an appeal to the neighbouring states/communities to extend their cooperation in finding solution to the protracted Naga political issue.
The party also resolved to appeal to the Naga national workers and the government of India to expedite the on-going political talks and “bring to a logical conclusion”, while also appealing to all other Naga national groups who have not joined the peace process to reconsider their decisions in the interest of the Naga people.
It also resolved to support the formation of the Joint Legislature Forum as it was the consistent stand of the NPF ‘to build lasting peace and to hammer out a political solution that is inclusive and honourable’. Also, the party approved the proposal for creation of Noklak as a separate division for the party.
