Speaker proposes to CM to convene Assembly on July 14 or 15

After Governor P B Acharya asked Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu to seek the vote of confidence in the Assembly on or before July 15, the Speaker has proposed to the CM to convene the House either on July 14 or 15.
Nagaland Assembly Speaker, Imtiwapang in a letter to the Chief Minister yesterday, proposed convening of the emergent session of the House either on July 14 or 15 while asking the former to seek the approval of the Governor.
The Governor had yesterday asked the CM to seek the vote of confidence in the Assembly after former chief minister T R Zeliang staked claim to form a new government.

However, Liezietsu in a letter to the Speaker said that the Council of Ministers headed by him as Chief Minister has not advised the Governor to summon the Assembly.
He also pointed the decision in 2016 Arunachal case, where "the Supreme Court had clearly laid down that the Governor has no authority on his own to summon, prorogue or dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
"He (Governor) can only do so on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister," Liezietsu said, adding that since the Council of Ministers has not advised the Governor to summon the Assembly session, the question of summoning the Assembly on or before July 15 does not arise.

In response to the CM's letter, the Speaker today reminded him that sessions are summoned by the Governor as per the Constitutional provisions and the advice of the Governor is a suggestion to him to fix a date for the session for the floor test as there have been claim by MLA T R Zeliang that your ministry has been reduced to minority.

Imtiwapang also requested the CM to take a call in the matter in consultation with the Governor without involving the office of the Speaker, which needs to be kept above partisan ends.
Zeliang had yesterday claimed the support of 44 MLAs.

"The numerical strength of my supporting MLAs has swelled to 44, including 37 NPF and 7 Independents. In a democracy, I would like to abide by the number game and not catapult to cunning and trapping games of compromising the unity of the party," Zeliang said.
Liezietsu had yesterday claimed that there would be no split in the NPF and had expressed confidence that MLAs camping in Kaziranga will come back soon.
The present strength of the 60-member Nagaland Assembly is 59 as the Northern Angami I seat is vacant now. The bypoll for the seat would be held on July 29.

In the assembly, the NPF has 47 members, the BJP four and Independents eight.