Kohima: In a move to fill up vacant portfolios of cabinet ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries in Nagaland, Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Monday inducted one BJP legislator as the cabinet minister and four other Independent MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries.
Chief Minister TR Zeliang elevated incumbent Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Information and Public Relations, Paiwang Konyak, to the rank of a cabinet minister.
Nagaland Governor PB Acharya administered the oath of office to Paiwang in presence of Zeliang, NPF president Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu, BJP president Dr M Chuba and senior police and Army officers.
The BJP was a pre-poll ally in the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar chaired the swearing in ceremony at the Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan.
Out of the 12 cabinet ministers in the state, four had been sacked by Zeliang following their rebellion along with dissident NPF legislators on January 5 last.
The state government has since been functioning with eight cabinet ministers including the Chief Minister. With Paiwang being inducted on Monday, three more were expected to be inducted very soon.
Chief Minister TR Zeliang administered oath of office to four new Parliamentary Secretaries – Levi Rengma, Amenba Yaden, Y M Yollow Konyak, Toyang Changkong and Mmhonlumo Kikon.
All four of them were first timers in the state Assembly. The Chief Minister was yet to assign portfolios to them. Zeliang clarified that the portfolios would be allotted only after filling up the remaining cabinet minister posts by the first week of May.
The 11-month old Chief Minister TR Zeliang ministry had been facing upheaval with 22 NPF MLAs demanding change of leadership on January 5 last, which led to sacking of four cabinet ministers and also nine Parliamentary Secretaries.
The situation had forced Chief Minister TR Zeliang to move a Confidence Motion in the Assembly on February 5 wherein all elected members, including the Opposition Congress voted in favour of his leadership in the 60-member House.
However, the dissident group led by Noke Wangnao and G Kaito Aye continued with their campaign and went to the Election Commission seeking recognition as the original NPF party.
The EC directed the NPF to resolve the matter as per provisions under Article XV of the Party Constitution on ‘dispute of leadership’ by holding a general convention.
NPF president Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu has scheduled the general convention for April 30 to resolve the internal squabble. (PTI)
