The Supreme Court verdict regarding the ongoing political turmoil in Karnataka has led to serious repercussions in at least three States of the Northeast — Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
A delegation of the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leaders in Manipur led by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Sing met Manipur’s acting Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi and staked claim to form the Government in the State. The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) and Congress — the two Opposition parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya — has also said that they would stake claim to form the Government in the respective States under the apex court’s verdict in case of Karnataka on Saturday. “Our party claimed that it was the single largest party with 28 MlAs in the Assembly election held last year. However Governor had invited BJP to form Government which had only 21 MlAs,” said Manipur Congress spokesperson, Kh. Jaikishan Singh.
“The NPF will stake claim before the Governor to form the Government on the merit of our case as being the single largest party. Why should different laws be applied in different States on a same matter,” Zeliang tweeted today after the SC verdict on Karnataka imbroglio. “I will be heading to Tuensang today to hold public meetings in support of C Apoch Jamir for the bypolls to the lok sabha. Right after my return to Kohima, the NPF legislators along with the organizational wing of NPF will hold a consultative meeting,” Zeliang said in another tweet.
It may be mentioned here that in the polls held in February this year where NPF emerged as the single largest party with 27 legislators. However, Nagaland Governor PB Acharya invited the newly floated NDPP-BJP alliance along with a Janta Dal legislator and one Independent legislator to form the Government in the State. While NPF managed to win 27 seats in 60 –member House in Nagaland, the NDPP led by Neiohu Rio could manage only 18 seats. The BJP, however, managed to win in 11 seats.
In Meghalaya, Opposition party Congress on the other hand is waiting for the forthcoming bypolls to the Ampati legislative Assembly constituency to get over. “At present the party leaders are busy with Ampati bypolls, which is due to may 28. However, we are going to take a call after the polls are over,” said senoor Congress leader and former State Minister Deborah C Marak.
In Meghalaya, Congress emerged as single largest party securing 21 seats in recently held Assembly polls in February. National People’s Party (NPP) could manage to get only 19 seats but formed the Government with the support of BJP and other regional parties.