Political friction has mounted in Kohima after the National People’s Party formally petitioned the Nagaland Assembly Speaker to seek the disqualification of five of its elected representatives. The move follows the legislators' sudden shift into the ranks of the ruling Naga People’s Front, prompting the party leadership to invoke the strict constitutional clauses of the anti-defection law against the defecting lawmakers.
Shift Bolsters Ruling Front in 60-Member House
The legislative crossover unfolded on October 1, when the five elected members officially crossed the floor to ally with the Naga People’s Front. Their entry substantially expanded the governing faction’s strength inside the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, taking its overall tally to 39 seats. This notable alteration in legislative numbers occurred roughly a year after the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party completed its merger into the Naga People’s Front.
Individual Disqualification Petitions Filed
Clarifying the party’s administrative and legal push, National People’s Party national vice-president Vevoyi Wideo confirmed that individual petitions were submitted against each of the five legislators. Rather than a blanket submission, the leadership filed separate challenges against every lawmaker to pursue disqualification under specific anti-defection parameters. The organization emphasized its complete regard for the Speaker’s constitutional position, confirming it will place all statutory arguments before the chair as prescribed by law.
Tenure, Identities and Tenth Schedule Merger Claims
The five lawmakers facing legal action are A Nyamnyei Konyak, Nuklutoshi, C Kipili Sangtam, Dr Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, and Benei M Lamthiu, each having secured their legislative mandate under the National People’s Party symbol during the 2023 state elections. Assembly secretariat records reveal that the group submitted formal documentation on October 1 asserting that their transition constituted a valid party merger under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Speaker to Adjudicate Constitutional Question
With formal disqualification filings now placed on record, the final determination rests entirely with the Nagaland Assembly Speaker. Under parliamentary jurisprudence governing anti-defection challenges, the Speaker functions as the sole adjudicating authority empowered to review submissions, examine arguments regarding Tenth Schedule exceptions, and decide the ultimate membership status of the five contested legislators.
