Commissioner & Secretary Nagaland Legislative Assembly Dr. P. J. Atony has informed that NLA Speaker Sharingain has fixed the final hearing and judgment on the disqualification petition filed by NPF against seven rebel MLAs on Tuesday afternoon at the conference hall of the NLA.
In this regard, Commissioner & Secretary NLA Dr. P. J. Antony also directed both Petitioners and Respondents to appear in person for the final hearing on Tuesday. The Commissioner & Secretary NLA also said that in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to follow strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) measures, attendance would be restricted to minimum on the day of the final hearing.
The notice was served on the Petitioners and NPF legislators – Chotisuh Sazo and Imkong L Imchen and Respondents and suspended NPF MLAs- EE Pangteang, Eshak Konyak, Kejong Chang, BS Nganlang Phom, Toyang Chang, N Thongwang Konyak and CL John. It may be recalled that the NPF had petitioned for disqualification of the seven rebel MLAs on April 24, 2019 but due to inordinate delay by the NLA Speaker, it approached the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court. In response, the Court in its latest hearing on June 2,2020 directed the Speaker to dispose of the case within six weeks.
Meanwhile, speaking to Nagaland Post, Imchen exuded confidence that the speaker’s judgment will be in all fairness since petitioners had a good case.
Asked what could happen if judgment was not favourable to the NPF Imchen said it all depended collective decision to be taken by the NPF Legislative Party,
It may be recalled that the seven rebel NPF legislators had defied the decision of NPF to support the Congress candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The seven MLAs had on March 25, 2019 also issued a written declaration to support the rival NDPP/PDA candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat from Nagaland. Following the declaration, the NPF Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) served a show cause notice on the seven MLAs which was followed by suspensions from the primary and active membership of the party. Later the NPF filed a petition with the office of the Speaker NLA seeking disqualification against the MLAs on April 24,2019.
On March 11 this year, Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench directed the speaker to dispose the disqualification petition against the MLAs within three weeks.
It may be mentioned that Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench had on June 2, 2020 directed NLA speaker to conclude the disqualification proceedings against seven NPF MLAs and pass appropriate orders within six weeks with effect from June 2, 2020. NPF had filed disqualification petitions against its seven suspended rebel MLAs for “wilfully” defying the party’s collective decision to support the Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha polls 2019.