Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu (Express Photo)
WITH former chief minister T R Zeliang claiming support of 43 MLAs in the 59-member House, Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu is set to face a floor test in the Assembly on Wednesday morning after the Kohima bench of Gauhati High Court rejected the petition he had filed against the Governor’s directive for a confidence vote.
A couple of hours after the High Court delivered its verdict, Governor P B Acharya issued fresh orders, calling for an emergent special session of the Assembly on Wednesday morning with a one-point agenda “to test the majority support” of the Liezietsu-led Cabinet. On Tuesday, the four-member BJP legislature party also pledged support to the DAN group led by Zeliang, taking the number of legislators purportedly backing him to 47.
Earlier, after Zeliang’s claim of majority support, the Governor had directed the chief minister on July 11 and 13 to take a floor test by July 17. Liezietsu moved the High Court, contending that it was an “ex facie unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary” order that violated the basic features of the Constitution. The court had put the floor test order on hold on Friday. But on Tuesday it dismissed Liezietsu’s contentions as “not tenable”.
The court rejected his prayer for granting “sufficient time” for the floor test, as the chief minister is contesting a by-election on July 29. “However, the matter is left to the wisdom of the Governor to take a decision on the same after proper application of mind,” the court held. Zeliang’s claim of support of 43 members includes 36 NPF legislators and seven Independent MLAs.
