Nagaland CM accuses Rio of supporting dissidents

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang, who is facing rebellion in his Naga People's Front party, today alleged that Lok Sabha MP and former chief minister Neiphiu Rio and Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi were responsible for the division in the ruling party.
"Shortly after my appointment as the chief minister, our MPs started a campaign for change of leadership," Zeliang alleged during a press conference in the state secretariat.
Zeliang succeeded Rio on May 24 after the latter vacated the seat on being elected to the Lok Sabha.
As many as 22 NPF MLAs formed a dissident group after openly revolting against the Zeliang government on January 5 demanding that Minister for Industries and Commerce G Kaito Aye be chosen the new leader.

Zeliang in response sacked eight legislators, including two cabinet ministers, and six parliamentary secretaries.
"Instead of attending the Parliament session in Delhi, Rio started calling MLAs to his house individually and planted the seeds of dissent while Khekiho started visiting the houses of the elected members encouraging them to dissent and offering them lucrative portfolios," Zeliang claimed.

Zeliang charged that when their plan fell through, they then called elected members to his Rio Villa, Sovima in Dimapur district and kept them under "wrongful confinement".
Zeliang also expressed surprise over state BJP president Chuba Ao's alleged role of keeping BJP MLAs "confined" in Rio Villa, along with NPF members.

"It would have been fair on Chuba's part if he had played a neutral role, and helped the NPF to settle their internal differences of the party in the interest of the DAN government," he said.
Zeliang pointed out that that since the NPF leadership, Chief Whip and the Speaker of the Assembly have not been informed of the move for change of leadership, the move is unconstitutional and illegal.
Under this situation, he observed, the crisis could be resolved only through trial of strength on the floor of the Assembly.
"I am ready to face it, and I have written to the Governor to call a special session," he affirmed.