Kohima: Nagaland Assembly on Friday became a Opposition-less House after the State Chief Minister T R Zeliang expanded his ministry by inducting legislators from Congress, besides his own party that is the Nagaland People’s Front also known as the (NPF).
Three ministers and nine parliamentary secretaries were inducted in the 11-month-old Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government in which BJP is a constituent.
Six of the eight Congress MLAs were inducted in the exercise which converted the 60-member Assembly to an Opposition-less House. Congress Legislature Party leader Tokheho Yepthomi got a place in the cabinet while two Naga People’s Front Parliamentary Secretaries Yitachu and Y Vikheho Swu were made ministers.
The three were sworn-in by the State Governor P B Acharya at the Raj Bhavan here.
Later the Chief Minister T R Zeliang inducted nine Parliamentary Secretaries out of whom five were from Congress and and four others from the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF).
While C Apok Jamir, Hukavi Zhimomi, Dr Imtiwapang, Eshak Konyak and Khekato were from Congress Dr Benjongliba Aier, E E Pangteang, Shetoyi and Phukayi belong to the Nagaland People’s Front.
The newly inducted ministers and parliamentary secretaries were yet to get their portfolios. This is the second expansion of the T R Zeliang ministry after the first one on April 27.
The dream to have a government without opposition has come true, Zeliang told reporters.
This has been done to bring together all the political parties who can now now jointly work towards achieving early solution of the Naga political issue.
The Zeliang Ministry had faced open upheaval with 22 Nagaland People’s Front MLAs demanding change of leadership on January 5, which had led to sacking of four cabinet ministers and nine Parliamentary Secretaries.
The rebellion had forced Zeliang to move for trust vote in the Assembly on February 5 wherein all the elected members, including the Opposition Congress, voted in favour of his leadership.
Nagaland can have 12 ministers including the chief minister as it has a 60-member House with 38 Nagaland People’s Front MLAs, 8 Congress, four BJP, one each by NCP and JD(U)and eight Independents. (PTI)
