'PDA Government is functioning smoothly' : NDPP

May 20, 2018, Kohima:

Communiqué

1. This communiqué is being issued in view of the misleading statements of Mr. T. R. Zeliang and other opposition members, which appeared in sections of the local media. While the leader of opposition and his party may be wishfully hoping on instability, we would like to highlight the fact that the PDA Government is functioning smoothly under an environment of stability and mutual trust. Unlike the period under the NPF when stability was a worry every hour and every day despite having support of all 60 Members in the House, the PDA Government under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is absolutely stable and focused on good governance.

Leadership of Mr. Neiphiu Rio

2. On the leadership of Mr. Rio, it is pertinent to point out that it was the total failure of the erstwhile NPF led DAN Government after the departure of Mr. Neiphiu Rio that the situation necessitated the call for Mr. Rio to return to the State as per the desire of the people. Heeding the voice of the public, Mr. Rio decided to come back and headed the NDPP as its undisputed leader upon the request of the rank and file of the party.

Double standard politics

3. The NPF has suddenly become very critical of the BJP without recalling that it had been in alliance with the BJP for the last 15 years. In fact, on June 28, 2017 during a party meeting at the NPF Central Office at Kohima, Dr. Shurhozelie proudly recalled the NPF’s association with the BJP as early as 1977, which was again renewed in 2003. Then on July 19, 2017, the NPF severed ties with the BJP. Thereafter the NPF made desperate attempts to restore the alliance with the BJP and after several flip-flops, the then Chief Minister Mr. T. R. Zeliang met national BJP President Mr. Amit Shah on January 25, 2018 after the NPF CEC at an emergency meeting on January 23, 2018, resolved to revoke its decision to snap ties with the BJP and continue the alliance.

4. The BJP, having realized that the NDPP reflected the aspirations of the masses and having understood that the NDPP enjoyed popular support announced its decision to have a pre-poll alliance with the NDPP at Guwahati on February 3rd, 2018 at by Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Home) in the presence of the then MP (Lok Sabha), Neiphiu Rio; state BJP president, Visasolie Lhoungu; Y. Patton (BJP leader and present Deputy CM) and other NDPP leaders. Having failed to secure an alliance with the BJP, despite desperate attempts, the NPF President and his colleagues became critical of the BJP and started playing the communal card.

5. The NPF party president and the then Chief Minister exposed their differences at the launch of the NPF Kohima Division campaign on February 14, 2018 wherein the party president stated that an alliance with the BJP would spell doom for the Nagas whilst the then Chief Minister TR Zeliang spoke of an unbroken relation with the BJP!

6. The contradictory opinions and claims of the NPF leadership since last year proves that their present tirades against the BJP and the NDPP are purely political vindictiveness since the BJP chose to ally with the NDPP and not the NPF although it was the ruling party at the time. Once the BJP understood that the masses are with the NDPP and struck an alliance with the party and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi named Neiphiu Rio as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the NDPP-BJP combine on February 22, 2018 at Tuensang, the NPF suddenly started criticizing the BJP as a communal, anti-Christian party.

If the BJP was an anti-Christian and communal party, what was the erstwhile Cock party doing since 1977? The NPF’s tall claims of being the only regional party are unfounded, as they have always allied with one national party or the other. Apart from the BJP, the erstwhile NPC allied with the Congress to depose the then Chief Minister Mr. K. L. Chishi and set up an NPC-Congress Government with late Mr. Vamuzo as Chief Minister and Mr. I. K. Sema from the Congress as the Deputy Chief Minister in the 1990s.

This partnership resulted in disqualification of a number of MLAs at the insistence of the party. History repeated itself in 2014 when 3 BJP legislators, despite being in alliance with the NPF, were disqualified at the behest of the NPF party. With such history, the NPF has no moral right to criticize neither the PDA Government nor the NDPP, and the NPF’s rhetoric is a clear sign of double-standard politics.

7. It is no secret that after the election campaign wherein the NPF went all guns blazing against the BJP by painting it in the most negative manner, the NPF again made all out attempts to partner with the BJP in its desperate attempt to form the Government. But true to its national image, the BJP not only strengthened the Alliance but also respected the mandate of the people by sticking to its pre-poll stand.

PDA is the single largest entity

8. We would like to put to rest the false claim of Mr. T.R. Zeliang, on the issue of single largest party. The NDPP would like to highlight that the NDPP-BJP Alliance was a pre-poll alliance that had a seat sharing arrangement as one single entity where the two parties did not contest against each other in any constituency. The NDPP-BJP alliance entered into a seat sharing arrangement of 40:20, which was the first of its kind in Nagaland.

9. The NDPP-BJP prepoll Alliance won a combined number of 30 seats (NDPP - 18 & BJP - 12) and securing a total of 4,08,056 votes (40.51%) out of 10,07,163 - the grand total of votes polled in the State, and clearly emerged as the single largest party. On the contrary, in the 26 seats that the NPF won, it garnered a total of 3,89,687 votes, which is 38.69 % of grand total of votes polled (10,07,163). Later, after the elections, it is public knowledge that the JD(U) and the NPP which are natural allies with the BJP in the NDA Government at the Centre, along with the lone IND legislator also extended their support to the NDPP-BJP combine thereby taking the total combine of pre and post poll alliance partners to 34 in the House of 60.

10. T. R. Zeliang also made a statement saying that he would stake claim to form the government. The NDPP would like to highlight the Justice Sarkaria Commission Report on Centre-State Relations with emphasis on Chapter 4 – Role of Governor. In section 11 of Chapter 4 which deals with the Choice of the Chief Minister, it is clearly mentioned in Point No. 4 as under quote:

4.11.04: “If there is no such party, the Governor should select a Chief Minister from among the following parties or group of parties by sounding them, in turn, in the order of preference indicated below:

1. An alliance of parties that was formed prior to the Elections.

2. The largest single party staking a claim to form the government with the support of others, including “independents.”

3. A post-electoral coalition of parties, with all the partners in the coalition joining the Government.

4. A post-electoral alliance of parties, with some of the parties in the alliance forming a Government and the remaining parties, including “independents” supporting the Government from outside.

4.11.05: The Governor, while going through the process of selection described above, should select a leader who, in his (Governor’s) judgement, is most likely to command a majority in the Assembly. The Governor's subjective judgement will play an important role.

4.11.06: A Chief Minister, unless he is the leader of a party which has absolute majority in the Assembly, should seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly within 30 days of taking over. This practice should be strictly adhered to with the sanctity of a rule of law.

11. These conventions are self-explanatory and due process has been followed in installation of the PDA Government. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that the NDPP-BJP pre-poll Alliance was the single largest entity and selected in order of preference (as per 4.11.04 sub point 1). The numbers has proved majority with victory in 34 seats and it is further proved in the vote share. Finally it was proven in the temple of democracy, on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 13, 2018 where Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio proved his majority by securing 33 votes against the 26 votes of the NPF. What more is there to prove?

Anti-VIP Culture

12. After coming to power, the PDA Government took several initiatives to do away with VIP Culture by ordering the removal of name-plates and putting an end to chief guest system. Whereas, during the NPF’s time, numerous party functionaries including its working presidents and secretary general were given cabinet status in various government positions. Also the DAN Chairman and Vice-Chairman were accorded highest statuses along with Government facilities, government staff, escorts and pilots and thereby putting a massive strain and burden on the state exchequer. The members of the PDA have only been accorded status but no Government privileges, unlike the NPF’s functionaries. Our initiatives against VIP culture has been well received by the people and will continue in the interest of the people of Nagaland.

13. Former Chief Minister TR Zeliang is supposed to be a responsible leader and he should know that the NDPP is a registered, recognized political party having strong regional ideology and identity with the people being the real stakeholders and the true high command of the party. Although it is a young party, it is carrying out its activities in true regional spirit. We will never undermine the public with lies and propaganda. The NDPP will continue to work tirelessly in line with its motto Facta non Verba or ‘Deeds, not words’.

(Issued by the NDPP Media & Communications Committee)