Cong to join govt after budget session

Eight Congress MLAs, who voted in favour of the DAN-III coalition government under chief minister T.R. Zeliang on February 5 did so with the understanding that it would be part of the coalition government.
Disclosing this to Nagaland Post here, Congress Legislature Party leader Tokheho Yepthomi said the arrangements for accommodating Congress members in the government would be discussed after the budget session on March 17 to 19.
When asked whether the situation would bring both the Congress and BJP together in the same government, Tokheho replied that when the crisis within NPF erupted, the Congress chose to support chief minister T.R. Zeliang and accordingly voted for the DAN-III government on February 5 floor test.
However, he said the BJP had openly supported the Noke-led NPF initially and had also stated later, that it (BJP) would not be part of a government that included the Congress.
“It is now up to them (T.R. Zeliang-led DAN government) to decide whether to stick to their decision or change their minds, he said.
Meanwhile, sources from the Congress also confided, that the party would be part of the government under a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) that included all other alliance partners.
Speculations of the Congress in Nagaland undergoing a major change by becoming a regional party continue to make the rounds. When asked for comments, Congress sources remain tight-lipped saying “let us see what happens”.
Earlier on Monday, Tokheho had also opined that the government of Nagaland hand over the March 5 violent incidents to the CBI for an impartial inquiry.
Tokheho said the party at its meeting on March 9 deliberated on the gravity of the situation where the state’s name and image has been seriously damaged by the hammering it has taken from people across the nation and abroad.
On February 5, all the 59 MLAs, excluding NLA speaker, voted in favour of the confidence motion moved by chief minister T.R. Zeliang.
It may be mentioned that the state cabinet had ordered the institution of the ‘One-Man Inquiry’ headed by retired District Magistrate & District Judge Veprasa Nyekha to ascertain causes and factors and holding those responsible for the March 5 incident.