Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 24
The spectacular victory of the BJP in the recently concluded Gujarat Assembly Elections appears to have jolted the Congress- led UPA Government at the Centre with the scheduled Union Cabinet meeting held today taking a guarded approach in deciding the fate of the Neiphiu Rio led DAN government. The Union Cabinet, which met today to take several policy decisions, however deferred making a verdict over the fate of the Nagaland government. State Congress leaders who are camping in the National Capital to demand for President’s Rule in the State informed The Morung Express that they will continue to “wait” for the Centre to take a decision on the political situation prevailing in Nagaland. The State Congress however hinted that there was no question of challenging the Speaker’s ruling in the court.
The cautious approach of the UPA government at the Centre appears to have been compelled by the emerging political scenario at the national level following the Gujarat election results, which has pushed the Congress to the defensive. Besides, the UPA has been warned by its major constituent the Left Front, advising against any move to impose President’s Rule in the State. In separate letters addressed to Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson, a few days earlier, the CPI (M), CPI and the All India Forward Block had pointed out that with elections in Nagaland to be held in February 2008, imposition of President Rule just two months before the election will be wrongly construed and that the image of the Congress will also suffer.
As such, the Union Cabinet which met today discussed briefly the Nagaland situation during its meeting but a decision was deferred to a later date as it was felt that imposing President’s Rule at this juncture will not benefit the Congress. “We are still waiting for decision” informed Congress Legislature Party chief I Imkong from New Delhi. Imkong confirmed that the Union Cabinet could not take a decision and the meeting had to be deferred. Imkong also maintained that “legal luminaries” had already denounced the Nagaland Speaker’s action as “unconstitutional.” The Congress chief also claimed that an eminent lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP had already written to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the President of India in support of the Congress. Imkong however refused to disclose the contents of the letter. The Congress legislators are expected to be in Delhi till New Year’s day.
