In the last one month or so not much headway has been made on the key resolution adopted by the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) consisting of the ruling NPF MLAs and Opposition Congress MLAs. The resolve to resign en-mass to pave pay for a Naga political solution has remained a mere wishful thinking. Whether it is the NPF or Congress, whatever position it has taken ever since, the fact remains that no one has resigned. The ruling NPF has refused to resign unless a political solution is imminent. The Nagaland Congress on the other hand may be trying to take a moral high ground by affirming that it had resolved to quit but they could not do it because the NPF led DAN legislators refused. So at the end of the day everyone wants to resign but no one really has been courageous enough to actually put pen to paper and resign. The argument of the Congress that the resignation of its MLAs would not make any impact actually falls flat similar to the NPF’s own justification not to resign i.e. to hold on to power until solution is arrived at. The Congress in Nagaland should have gone ahead and resigned rather than take pot shots at the ruling NPF or trying to isolate the latter. At least then they will have a point to assert that they have sacrificed their position. However now with the Election Commission of India making an official visit to the State, the announcement of dates is round the corner and the clock is ticking for the political parties especially the ruling NPF and Opposition Congress to either quit now and campaign for early solution or allow the status-quo to prevail, which would mean the usual election and jostling for power and government formation. It is still not too late to salvage the political initiative taken by the NPF and Congress under the JLF and put into action the substance of their resolve—to pave the way for an early solution. And it is within their powers to make the much needed difference and put pressure on the Government of India with one voice that Naga people want solution and not election at this juncture.
As for the Government of India, it should weigh the prospect of conducting a bitter and expensive election against the will of the people. Delhi should know better to understand the extraordinary circumstance of the current situation what with a political settlement with the Nagas at the doorstep. The political establishment in Delhi has already acknowledged this fact where even the Union Home Minister has publicly pronounced of an early settlement before the next Assembly elections in Nagaland. For the electorate to put in place a newly elected government and suddenly announcing a political settlement may create more inconveniences and further lead to new problems for Delhi. So the best course available is for the Congress led UPA government to bring in an Ordinance and defer the conduct of Assembly elections in Nagaland. Whether this is possible or not is for the Government of India to explore the constitutional provisions. According to information made available in the Election Commission of India portal, “holding of regular elections can only be stopped by means of a constitutional amendment and in consultation with the Election Commission, and it is recognised that interruptions of regular elections are acceptable only in extraordinary circumstances”. So this would mean that the possibility of deferring election does exist. Perhaps it is for the political parties in Nagaland and the Naga civil society groups to also point this out to the people sitting in Delhi. The resignation en-mass of all the 60 MLAs of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) will put the GoI on notice and set the momentum for future course of action.
