EMN
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 17
The NPF headed by Noke Wangnao while appealing all fellow party women and men to come to the main party fold has claimed today that it is the legitimate and recognized cock symbol party and any other organization claiming to be so is unauthorized and illegal. “To justify this truth, we would like to highlight the fact that the Election Commission of India will recognize the party that has the majority of elected Members supporting it, as in a democracy, the voice of the majority is considered as the ultimate voice of the people. In our case we have 22 MLAs out of 37 MLAs (excluding speaker) supporting the leadership of Noke and Kaito and the lone Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have also supported the election of Noke and Kaito as leader of the NPF and the NPF legislature Party respectively,” the statement issued by NPF Press and Media Cell said.
According to the statement, this was the same yardstick that was applied by the Election Commission and even the judicial courts in the case of the Indira Gandhi’s faction of the Congress, namely Congress (R) against Congress (O) in 1971 when the election commission recognized her party as the real congress and allowed itself to be called the Indian National Congress without any suffix and restored the frozen Congress symbol to her party. “Similarly, in 1995 the Election Commission applied the same yardstick in the case of the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) when the N. Chandrababu Naidu group of the party removed the President N.T. Rama Rao and elected Naidu as the president. In this case too, since the Naidu group had an overwhelming majority of elected members on its side the election commission recognized it as the original TDP and allotted the party symbol to the TDP led by Naidu overruling the other group’s claim which was then led by NT Rama Rao’s wife, Lakshmi Parvati,” it stated.
“Therefore, even in this present case, the NPF led by Noke is the legitimate and recognized group as we have the majority support of the party which includes the majority of office bearers, the majority of assembly units, the majority of divisions and the overwhelming majority of elected members in the form of 22 MLAs and both the elected members of parliament in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,” it added. The statement then said that on all these counts, there is absolutely no dispute on which side the majority is. “In the light of the above, we make an appeal to all party women and men to come to the mainstream and let us together move ahead in the greater interest of the State and our people under our collective motto of Fide non Armis, instead of a confrontationist approach,” it appealed.
“The president and all leaders of the NPF appeals to our fellow party women and men to come to the main party fold under the leadership of NPF President Noke Wangnao and Leader of the NPF Legislature Party, Kaito Aye,” it further appealed.
The party was compelled to remove the erstwhile president Dr. Shurhozelie due to his autocratic, dictatorial and unconstitutional actions, the statement reasoned. Instead of playing a neutral role and allowing inner democracy to prevail by respecting the majority view of the NPF legislature Party, he resorted to illegal disqualifications and suspensions of the elected MLAs who had sided with the majority, it alleged. “His suspension orders were not only unconstitutional but had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people and the party organization. Another dictatorial style of functioning was the setting up of core groups for any of his desired purposes. The erstwhile president set up a core group appointed by him which reelected him as president which is unconstitutional. Likewise, for every unconstitutional move he set up a core group. This is the manner of his style of functioning and it is for such reasons that party has unanimously resolved to remove him as president and also suspend his membership of the party,” the statement further said.
Noke Wangnao while expressing his gratitude to those legislators making him as the ‘NPF president’ has appealed to all NPF MLAs who are under “captivity of T.R. Zeliang, the minority Chief Minister and Dr. Shurhozelie ex-president of NPF” to come and work together. “I assure that all of them will be treated with honour and dignity without any prejudice or discrimination,” Noke said.
Noke then said he is deeply moved by the solidarity, enthusiasm and expressions of faith and trust reposed on him by the MLAs and multitude of party rank and file who have requested him to take over the Presidentship of the NPF party. “Understanding their sentiments and aspirations and at the same time the prevailing political situation in the party I have accepted the responsibilities to carry out the policies and programmes of the NPF party I dearly love throughout my life,” he said. “It would not be out of place or unreasonable to state that my friend Dr. Shurhozelie, ex-president has started destroying the party we have painstakingly built up for years together,” Noke added.
Noke Wangnao then said he understands that he will be failing on his part if he does not rescue this noble party he dearly cares. “With these views I have started working for the integrity of the party so as to secure the future of the NPF Party and deliver goods to the people. I appeal not only to the Party rank and file but also the people of the state to extend their fullest co-operation and support in this endeavour notwithstanding whatever turmoil or fortunes may unfold before us,” he added.
