Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 11
The dilly-dally over the latest imbroglio in crisis-borne Naga People’s Front (NPF) continued unabated today with dissident leader TR Zeliang parading 44 MLAs (37 NPF & 7 Independents), even as a defiant Chief Minister filed his nomination for bye-election to the 10-Northern Angami-1 Assembly Constituency scheduled for July 29.
On the same day, the former Chief Minister ‘gently’ reminded the incumbent Chief Minister to gracefully vacate his chair “reading the writing on the walls.”
Meanwhile, Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu exuded confidence telling the media while filing his nomination that “the present political crisis are a family issue and they will try to solve the problem with mutual understanding among themselves.” MLAs who are camping right now at Kaziranga will come back soon and join into his fold again, he added.
Dr Shürhozelie, who was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP K.G. Kenye, other cabinet ministers and party workers, also said that it was too early to give any assurance whether he will contest the 2018 election.
He stated that his son Khriehu Liezietsu is the standby to his candidature.
CM’s offer a concoction of untruths as well as fact: TR
Meanwhile, the former Chief Minister TR Zeliang dismissed media reports that he had declined an offer for the Office of Chief Minister by Dr. Shürhozelie on July 8.
A press statement issued by Zeliang further called the Minister of Education/SCERT Yitachu’s statement at a press conference on July 10 in Kohima as “a concoction of untruths as well as facts.” Clarifying the issue, Zeliang informed that an emissary of the NPF party spoke to him over phone on July 7 when he was almost reaching Kaziranga, and requested him to come back to take over the Chief Minister’s seat with certain conditions. “The major condition is that some of the MLAs have to be left behind, and a reunion with Dr. Shürhozelie effected,” Zeliang asserted.
“I considered this condition as a fatal blow to the unity within the NPF which is firmly emerging despite this crisis,” he added justifying his decision to decline the offer. In this regard he said it was “absolutely wrong” on Yitachu’s part to spread such “misinformation and canards.” “The offer being conditional and intended to drive a wedge between me and Rio, I declined it.”
Slams Azo’s appointment
Zeliang further slammed the appointment of Kuzholuzo (Azo) Neinu as the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) and termed it “shameful” as those in power lacked the “support of 4 BJP MLAs and the Independent MLAs.” Azo’s appointment, replacing him as the DAN Chairman, on July 10 was “illegal and foul in the eyes of law,” Zeliang said affirming an earlier assertion by MLA Merentoshi that his replacement would need “approval of majority of NPF, BJP and Independent MLAs.” Zeliang also appended the press statement as “Leader NPF Legislature Party & DAN Chairman.”
BJP affirms neutrality
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland today steered clear of the current imbroglio in the NPF party stating that news report about “the reaffirmation/support is an individual comment only”. “The so called DAN meeting has not passed any resolution to that effect,” stated a press note from Media Cell, BJP Nagaland. “The BJP Nagaland is maintaining neutrality as DAN coalition partner as the present crisis is the internal problem of NPF only.”
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