Kohima, October 25 (MExN): Chief Minister of Nagaland, TR Zeliang on October 24 asserted that he and Neiphiu Rio will retain the NPF Cock symbol as they have the support of majority.
“Majority group should get the Cock Symbol. We will win and Cock symbol will be allotted to us,” he stated at the consultative meeting of NPF legislators, CEC, all frontal and divisions office bearers at Hotel Vivor.
Clarifying on the October 17 ECI “Interim Order”, the CM appealed to the party men and women “not to be confused with rumours and false propaganda perpetrated by the opponents but to remain steadfast with the party and prepare for 2018 election with Cock symbol,” according to a press release from Media Cell, Chief Minister Office.
He further reiterated that everything is taking place according to law and there is nothing to worry about ongoing tussle within the NPF party as it will be settled in due course of time. Zeliang added that there is no question of illegitimacy as the majority of the legislators supported his leadership.
The CM also accused 9 MLAs of pressurizing the speaker to disqualify all the 36 legislators supporting him.
Shürhozelie-led NPF responds
In reaction to Chief Minister TR Zeliang’s statement that the Cock symbol of the NPF will be theirs, the Shürhozelie-led NPF has stated that the claim was “just an attempt to fool and confuse the public because if he was so confident of getting the symbol Cock, he would not have been hobnobbing with the Nationalist People’s Party, nor would Neiphiu Rio…get his party Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party registered with the Election Commission of India.”
A press statement from the Shürhozelie party’s Media & Press Bureau further quoted the ECI order dated October 17 that “as per the list of office bearers submitted by the Party [NPF] in 2015, Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu was shown as the President of the party, and Apong Pongener as the Working President.”
“This makes it obvious that as far as the ECI is concerned, and as per the records available with the Commission, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu is the president of the NPF,” the statement added.
