NPF to discuss verdict today
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 14
In a major relief for the seven Naga People's Front (NPF) MLAs, the Nagaland Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer on Tuesday rejected their party’s plea to disqualify them.
The Speaker dismissed the petition against the lawmakers saying “there is no sufficient ground for presuming that the Respondents had voluntarily given up the membership of the original political party, i.e. the Naga People's Front.”
“Hence, I decide that the respondents are not liable to be disqualified under Para 2(1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule,” the Speaker’s stated in his order.
The judgment was pronounced in the open Conference Hall of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in the presence of both the parties.
The petition was filed by NPF legislators Chotisuh Sazo and Imkong L Imchen in April last year, seeking disqualification against 7 of its MLAs for “willfully defying the party’s collective decision to support the Congress party in the last Parliamentary Election 2019 to the lone Nagaland Parliamentary Constituency.”
It argued that “By openly going against the party’s decision amounts to voluntarily giving up the membership of the party.”
The MLAs involved in the petition include EE Pangteang, Eshak Konyak, Kejong Chang, BS Nganglang, Toyang Chang, Thongwang Konyak and CL John.
NPF to discuss verdict today
Meanwhile, Imkong L Imchen told The Morung Express that NPF Legislators will be meeting at Kohima on Wednesday to discuss the verdict and collectively decide “as to what should be our response to the judgement.”
“Until then, I cannot pass my comments at the moment. Let’s wait and see till tomorrow,” he added.
