NCP legislator joins ruling Naga People's Front

The lone legislator of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Nagaland has merged with the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF).
The lone NCP MLA L Khumo, who was a post-poll ally of the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government, formally declared the party's merger with NPF in the Assembly yesterday, a statement issued by NPF president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu here today said.
In the 2013 elections, NCP had won four seats in the 60-member state Assembly, but three of its MLAs joined BJP on June 16, 2014 and a case is still pending against them as the NCP Nagaland had filed a PIL with the Supreme Court in September last year.

Khumo reportedly presented the claim of merger in the format required under the Members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 2003 along with other supporting documents to the Speaker, claiming his merger with the NPF.
Khumo has now become member of the political and the legislature parties of the NPF with effect from the presentation of claim, said Liezietsu.
"Since the aforesaid MLA has merged with the NPF in accordance with the law laid down by the Gauhati High Court in Writ Appeals Nos. 297 & 298/2014 (judgement delivered on December 12, 2014), he is protected against disqualification on ground of defection," he claimed.

The NPF president has also requested the Speaker to show Khumo as NPF member in all Assembly records pending appropriate order under the Members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 2003.
With this, the strength of NPF in the State Assembly has gone up to 47 while BJP has four members, JD(U) one and eight Independent MLAs.
This is the second merger within a week as eight Congress MLAs had merged with NPF on November 20.