Decision taken after a writ petition in Kohima HC Bench
Morung Express News
Kohima | December 13
The Chungtia Citizens Forum (Chungtia Senso Mungdang) has ‘withdrawn/revoked’ a resolution passed on December 28, 2021 declaring one individual as its candidate in the forthcoming 2023 General Election.
Other ‘consequential’ notices issued after the adoption of the December 28 resolution have also been withdrawn, as per an order issued by the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench, while hearing a writ petition regarding the issue on December 13.
As per the order, the Chungtia Village Council (CVC) had filed “affidavit-in-opposition” outlining the minutes of the emergency meeting of the Citizens’ Forum held on November 12, 2022. It stated that “the decision that the respondent No. 5 (Major B Toshikaba Longchar) will be the Chungtia Senso Mungdang (Chungtia Citizen Forum) candidate of the 28th Koridang Assembly Constituency in the forthcoming 2023 General Election was withdrawn/revoked.”
The CVC further submitted a letter written by the Council Secretary and Council Chairman dated November 12, 2022 addressed to the Chungtia Senso Citizen Union, Kohima and other unions of the village, informing them that the letter dated 28.07.2022 was “revoked.”
In the light of the submission by the CVC, the single-judge bench expressed the considered opinion of the Court that the present writ petition has become unnecessary and accordingly, disposed the petition as “infructuous.”
The writ petition was first heard on October 27, where the petitioner T Chalukumba Ao, a citizen of the village, approached the Court “challenging the resolution and the consequential notice.” The resolution designated a “consensus candidate of the village for the 28 Koridang A/C” and thereafter, the CVC issued a notification informing and “warning all the villagers” of penalty of 7 pigs if they go against the aforesaid resolution.
An interim prayer for the stay of the December 28 resolution as well as the “consequential notice” issued by the CVC then was kept for the next hearing.
In another case, the Kohima Bench, on December 5, stayed a “Decision/Resolution dated 28.12.2021” made by the Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden/Village Council as well as announcements by the council dated 01.06.2022 and 19.10.2022 “until further orders.”
The Court also suspended, until further orders, the “Information/Announcement dated October 23, 2022 made by the Mongsenyimti Senso Mungdang,” and listed the matter for hearing after four weeks.
The matter also relates to a Citizens’ meeting of the village on December 28, declaring a particular person as the village’s candidate in the upcoming Assembly election. The declaration was followed by a notice by the village council restricting any other villagers from contesting, apart from the declared candidate.
