NPP files plea against Nagaland Speaker’s decision

Shillong, April 2 (IANS) The National People's Party (NPP) has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the Nagaland Speaker's decision to approve the merger of two party MLAs with the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDDP), an NPP official said on Tuesday.

In a statement issued here, the NPP described the order of the Speaker as a gross violation of paragraph 4 of the Xth Schedule of the Constitution.

"The order of the Speaker is in gross violation of the principle of natural justice as no notice was issued to the NPP before passing the order on merger of two legislators with the NDPP... the order is also against the provisions of the Xth Schedule and the Speaker has acted in a partisan and unfair manner and contrary to the provisions of the Constitution," it said.

On March 21, NPP legislators Imnatiba Jamir and Al Khumo joined the ruling party after the NPP leadership decided to field O. Tinujungshi Longkumer against NDPP's Sharingain Longkumer in the by-election to 26 Aonglenden Assembly constituency to be held on April 11.

Tinujungshi had officially withdrawn his candidature and declared his support to Longkumer, who is also the consensus candidate of the NDPP-led People's Democratic Alliance government headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

The NPP said there was no merger of the NPP with the NDPP.

The NPP said it has approached the Supreme Court directly as it believes that violation of the Constitution by the Speaker and the two legislators elected on NPP symbol should be heard and decided expeditiously by the apex court.