GUWAHATI: In a set-back to Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the Kohima bench of the Guwahati High Court on Tuesday rejected his writ petition against a directive by the governor to go for a floor test, and pushed the ball back to the Raj Bhavan saying it was up to him (governor) to take a decision.
In the sake of the High Court, the governor PB Acharya issued fresh orders calling for an emergent special session of the Nagaland Assembly on Wednesday (July 19) morning with an one-point agenda “to test the majority support” of the present cabinet led by chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu.
The governor PB Acharya had on the basis of dissident legislator TR Zeliang’s claim of majority support, directed chief minister Liezietsu on July 11 and 13 to go for a floor test by July 17, the latter had petitioned the High Court saying it was an “ex facie unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary” order that had violated of the basic features of the Constitution.
Though the High Court had on Friday put the floor test order on hold, on Tuesday it dismissed the chief minister’s contentions as “not tenable”, and rejected his prayer for granting “sufficient time” for the floor test as the chief minister was contesting a bye-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 High Court verdict said.
POltical crisis has dogged Nagaland for the last two weeks after former chief minister TR Zeliang claimed he had support of 43 members in the 59-member House where all members are part of the ruling DAN. The 43 included 36 NPF legislators and seven Independents.
On Tuesday however the four-member BJP Legislature Party also pledged support to the DAN group led by Zeliang, thus taking the number of legislators on his side to 47.