Principal Correspondent
Kohima, March 15
The Naga People’s Front (NPF) led by Noke Wangnao and G. Kaito Aye while expressing satisfaction over their counsel’s presentation before the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the NPF Party symbol issue on March 13 last are hopeful that the Commission would deliver verdict in their favour. “The much awaited hearing of the NPF Party symbol case by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was held on March 13, 2015,” said NPF Legislature Party Spokesperson, Imkong L. Imchen in a release today.
He said that the ECI has given a special audience to prove majority on March 12, where all the 20 NPF MLAs led by Kaito Aye and Noke Wangnao were physically presented before the high office of the ECI. Besides the 20 NPF MLAs from Nagaland, two NPF MLAs from Manipur and two MPs of Nagaland were physically present. We feel so much satisfied for giving us this special privilege to physically parade before the eyes of the ECI, he said.
On March 13, Imchen said, the ECI was kind enough to allow ten persons each to both Noke Wangnao and Shürhozelie Liezietsu to listen and watch the proceedings of the ECI, wherein advocates representing both the petitioner and respondent presented their argument as per the merit of the case and the argument portion was formally concluded.
However, he said the principal defence counsel of Shürhozelie, the learned Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, requested the ECI to give more time for further submission of the number of MLAs, Central Executive Council (CEC) and vote share etc. and therefore the ECI was gracious enough to grant one-weeks time to them for written submission.
“We are expecting that the ECI will deliver their verdict once the written submissions are made available to them,” he said.
Moreover, the Noke-led NPF maintained that Abhishek Singvi, the learned counsel for Shürhozelie, who happens to be one of the Congress Spokesman presenting for Shürhozelie before ECI makes the support of Indian National Congress understandable. Perhaps, it said, the learned counsel Abhishek Singvi is one of the prominent legal experts in the country, but the political overtone indicates the relationship between Dr. Shürhozelie and Sonia Gandhi.
“This is besides the instant case of ‘Cock symbol’ and yet we trust that the ECI has got nothing to do with political parties or whatsoever, except the merit of the case,” Imchen said.
Asserting that the people of Nagaland, especially the NPF Party men and women as well as the sympathizer will get the verdict very soon, Imchen said that Noke and Kaito are hopeful that the ECI will give its verdict on the symbol issue in their favour.
NPF leaders back in the State from Delhi
The dispute between the two groups of the NPF has been heard by the Election Commission of India at ECI headquarters in New Delhi on March 13. Leaders of both groups returned to Nagaland on Saturday and today.
All 20 MLAs of the NPF under ‘president’ Noke Wangnao also returned to Nagaland while the Manipur MLAs under Noke’s leadership have also returned from the national capital.
The Shurhozelie and TR Zeliang group was represented by Supreme Court lawyer and Senior Congress leader
Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The lawyer is also one of the most prominent spokespersons of the Congress party who appears on all television channels defending the Congress stand in all major national issues.
Abhishek Singhvi is also a Congress member in the Rajya Sabha.
Nagaland’s Congress leader Tokheho had recently made a statement confirming that the Congress was all set to join the DAN Government which is led by the regional party, NPF.
As a follow up of Tokheho’s statement, the spokesperson of the Shurhozelie’s group, Yitachu had stated that the government under TR Zeliang has no problems with sharing the Government with Congress party.
The disputed in the ECI is between two groups led by Noke Wangnao and Shurhozelie, both of who are claiming ownership of the party and its symbol.
Noke’s group met the ECI with all the elected members who were supporting it, including MLAs from Manipur. The group is also supported by both the Members of Parliament from Nagaland representing Nagaland in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Shurhozelie’s team to the ECI included TN Manen and ET Sunup.
Shurhozelie is the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) and the the BJP is a pre-poll partner of the alliance. The BJP has been a part of the DAN since its inception in 2002 and has subsequently contested all the state and national elections under the DAN banner including Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections.
The Noke group was represented by reputed Supreme Court lawyer Nageswar Rao.
