Nagaland: NCP and BJP official notification for merger expected by Wednesday

KOHIMA, June 24 (NEPS):  Former office bearers of NCP, Nagaland Unit led by its former president Imtilemba Sangtam, MLA, have appeared before the Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Chotisuh Sazo at his Office Chamber on Tuesday to validate their resolution passed on June 16, 2014 for their formal “merger claim” with the BJP in Nagaland.

Sazo, who was out for a week, reached Kohima late last night and could not attend to the documents of the 3 Nagaland NCP MLAs’ merger claim with the BJP in Nagaland. He, however, called the Nagaland Unit of NCP’s former office bearers and their president to appear before him at his office on Tuesday and validate their signatures appended to the “resolution” passed by them on June 16, 2014 for their merger claim along with their three MLAs with the BJP in Nagaland.

At about 3 PM on Tuesday, the former NCP Nagaland Unit office bearers led by Imtilemba Sangtam, MLA, appeared before the Speaker at his office chamber and verified all their signatures appended to their resolution for merger claim with the BJP, Nagaland.

Talking to NEPS soon after appearing before the Speaker, Sangtam said the Speaker was now satisfied after crosschecking their credentials and expressed the hope that “Official Notification” for the “Merger” of three NCP MLAs along with their party supporters with the BJP, Nagaland could be issued by Wednesday.

Talking to NEPS at his office chamber on Tuesday, Speaker Sazo disclosed that he had called the NCP office bearers and their president to appear before him at his office as he wanted to crosscheck their credentials on their “Resolution” passed on June 16, 2014 of their formal “merger claim” with the BJP, Nagaland.

Sazo also disclosed that he received documents from the three NCP MLAs—Imtilemba Sangtam, Dr TM Lotha and Mmhonlumo Kikon—with their party resolutions and Nagaland BJP’s acceptance resolution of the merger on June 16, 2014. “But I sought some more additional documents from them to furnish whether there was any resolution of the NCP National Political Party deciding to merge their party with the BJP or any authorization to the State Unit of NCP to take any decision in this regard. At the same time, whether there was any resolution of the BJP National Political Party accepting the merger of the NCP with BJP” he said.

“Because this is Constitutional matters and I need to thoroughly examine by consulting with legal and constitutional experts before any official notification with regard to the merger claim is issued from my office,” Sazo explained. “At the same time, I also have to listen to the views and counter views expressed by the parties concerned to the present development following the three NCP MLAs’ merger claim with the BJP.”

Asked when he would give official notification to the three NCP MLAs’ merger claim with the BJP, Nagaland, the Speaker said, “May not be today.” Although he did not specify the date of issuing the official notification, it is believed that “Official Notification” for the three NCP MLAs’ merger claim with BJP, Nagaland may be issued by Wednesday.