# National People’s Party Petitions Assembly Speaker to Disqualify Five Nagaland Legislators Following Defection

> The National People’s Party has submitted petitions to the Nagaland Assembly Speaker seeking the disqualification of five MLAs who defected to the ruling Naga People’s Front.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Nagaland · **Published:** 2026-10-06 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/nagaland/nagaland-men-pancha-vidhayakon-ke-pala-badalane-para-national-people-s-party-pahunchi-vidhanasabha-adhyaksha-ke-pasa-ayogyata-ki-m-43789 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Nagaland, National Peoples Party, Naga Peoples Front, Assembly Speaker, Anti-Defection Law, Tenth Schedule

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.

## What this means for you
This political dispute directly alters the seat dynamics of the state assembly and sets up a constitutional test of merger clauses.

- **Across India:** The proceedings offer a fresh test case regarding how legislative mergers are evaluated under the Tenth Schedule when an entire legislative contingent jumps ship. The outcome reinforces procedural boundaries for state parties seeking to prevent mid-tenure floor-crossing.
- **In Nagaland:** The development consolidates the ruling formation's floor majority at 39 members within the 60-seat assembly. Should the Speaker decide in favor of disqualification, several assembly constituencies could witness sudden bye-elections.
- **For Local Constituents:** Voters who elected candidates on a National People’s Party ticket in 2023 now face altered representation dynamics. Citizens must monitor the Speaker’s chamber to see whether their legislators keep their seats or trigger fresh local contests.
- **For Regional Parties:** The move underlines the vulnerability of smaller regional outfits in sustaining legislative unity after election cycles. It forces political organizations in the region to brace for procedural battles over statutory recognition.

## Why this happened
The conflict arose after the entire legislative delegation of the National People’s Party switched allegiance to the ruling Naga People’s Front.

- **Immediate Trigger:** On October 1, the five legislators formally notified the assembly secretariat that they had merged their legislative bloc with the Naga People’s Front under the Tenth Schedule. The National People’s Party disputed the move and petitioned the Speaker to penalize them under anti-defection statutes.
- **Underlying Context:** The floor-crossing unfolded exactly a year following the merger between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Naga People’s Front. This ongoing consolidation of legislative strength created the backdrop for the five members to shift sides.
- **Statutory Framework:** Because constitutional jurisprudence places the authority to review Tenth Schedule petitions entirely in the hands of the Assembly Speaker, the party submitted separate disqualification challenges to initiate formal adjudication.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What action has the National People’s Party sought from the Assembly Speaker?
The party has submitted petitions requesting the disqualification of five of its MLAs under the provisions of the anti-defection law.

### 2. Who are the five legislators named in the petitions?
The legislators are A Nyamnyei Konyak, Nuklutoshi, C Kipili Sangtam, Dr Tseilhoutuo Rhutso, and Benei M Lamthiu.

### 3. Which party did the five MLAs join and when did the move happen?
All five legislators switched over to the ruling Naga People’s Front on October 1.

### 4. How does this defection impact the numerical strength of the ruling party?
The switch takes the Naga People’s Front’s strength to 39 members in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly.

### 5. What legal defense did the defecting MLAs submit to the Assembly secretariat?
The MLAs submitted notices claiming they had merged with the Naga People’s Front under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

### 6. Who holds the authority to decide on these disqualification petitions?
The Nagaland Assembly Speaker holds the sole constitutional authority to adjudicate disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law.

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