Naga People’s Front decides to withdraw support from coalition Meghalaya govt

The Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Sunday announced that it is likely to withdraw its support from the coalition-led Meghalaya government after the Nagaland elections slated for February 27.

NPF’s state president Marung Makunga said, “We have decided to withdraw support from the coalition soon. The decision may be announced shortly after the Nagaland elections.”

The NPF has four lawmakers, or cabinet ministers, in the 60-member Assembly, where the BJP has only 21 and dependant on other allies for its majority. Makunga asked during a press conference, “During a public meeting, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told the NPF members of the Autonomous District Council of Chandel district to join the BJP. Was it a mere joke or mocking our party or showing disrespect to our party?”

Indications are that the High Court is likely to take a firm decision on March 13, when the petition against the appointment of 12 Parliamentary secretaries will be heard.

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State Congress president TN Haokip said that the eight Congress MLAs who has joined the BJP might have to return or face disqualification proceedings, for which the party has already submitted petitions to Governor Najma Heptulla and Speaker Y Khemchand.

Other NPF leaders said that the CM had announced that it would allot crore of rupees for the hilly districts as part of his slogan ‘go to the hills’, but nothing has been done after such announcements.

The decision by the NPF comes after the BJP had dropped the party from coalition and tied up with a newly-floated party for the state assembly polls.