Disqualification petitions to be filed against NPF MLAs

Our Correspondent
Kohima, August 3 (EMN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLAs who are with party president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, will be filing disqualification petition against 36 NPF legislators who defied the party whip, Kiyanilie Peseyie and had voted in favour of expelled member and Chief Minister TR Zeliang during the July 21 floor test.
“By August 7, we will move for disqualification of the 36 members,” NPF MLA Yitachu told reporters on Thursday. As per the provisions of the Members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules 2003 rule No.6 under the sub-header ‘Disqualification for voting in the House contrary to direction issued’, a petition for disqualification can be made only after the expiry of 15 days from the date of voting/abstention.
Yitachu was hopeful that both the NLA Speaker and the court would accept the disqualification petition which was made in accordance with the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
When asked if it was true that the NLA Speaker had inclinations toward chief minister TR Zeliang’s group of MLAs, he said any bias displayed on the part of the Speaker would provide a ‘very good ground’ for the NPF legislators on Dr. Liezietsu’s side.
He also said that if the 36 MLAs were disqualified, then dissolution of the 12th NLA would become unavoidable.
On the reported appointment of Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio as interim president of NPF by the NPF Legislature Party, Yitachu dismissed such appointment saying nowhere does a legislature elects a party president.
As for the demand by NPF Legislature Party for NPF president Liezietsu to step down within 15 days, he said that as per the party constitution, the president can be removed only by dissolution of the party COB or on the president’s resignation. He added that the NPF has over 10,000 active members and therefore, it would take at least 7000 active members to come and dissolve the party structure.