Zeliang appoints nine advisors, 26 parliamentary secretaries

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang today appointed nine advisors with cabinet minister rank and 26 parliamentary secretaries.
Zeliang administered the oath of office and secrecy to nine advisors and 26 parliamentary secretaries in the presence of Assembly Speaker Imtiwapang Aier and senior bureaucrats at the State Banquet Hall here this evening.
With today's appointment of advisors and parliamentary secretaries, Zeliang has appointed all the MLAs supporting him to some post.
Zeliang has the support 36 NPF legislators, four BJP and seven independent MLAs.
Zeliang cabinet has 12 ministers including the chief minister.
Zeliang was sworn in as the chief minister on July 19 after the Nagaland governor sacked Shurhozelie Liezietsu, who failed to turn up for the vote of confidence.

Zeliang had won the trust vote in the Assembly on July 21 and had first expanded his ministry by inducting 10 ministers on July 22 and yesterday he had inducted one more minister.

However, Zeliang is yet to distribute the portfolios to any of the ministers, parliamentary secretaries and advisors.
Talking to mediapersons after the ceremony, he said portfolios would be distributed in next couple of days.
Asked about 10 NPF and one Independent MLA supporting former chief minister and NPF party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu moving court against his ministry, Zeliang said, "their intension was to stop the expansion of this ministry but the court has not allowed while the hearing has been fixed for July 31 next."

On the fate of the legislators voting against him in the July 21 emergent session, Zeliang said "according to anti- defection law if any member defies the whip, he would directly attract disqualification. If anybody files trial petition before the Speaker, they will be disqualified."
Replying to another query as to whether he would personally initiate disqualification of the 10 NPF MLAs, the chief minister said "it all depends on the decision of elected members on his side, which will be discussed in the NPF Legislature Party in due course of time."
"According to the Nagaland Assembly Anti-Defection rules, the petition can be submitted only after 15 days," he said.

On the claims of legislators supporting him to be NPF MLAs despite the expulsion and suspension of 31 out of the 36 of them, the CM claimed that the 36 NPF legislators had an exclusive meeting yesterday and decided that the action initiated by the NPF party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu "is not according to the NPF constitution."
He claimed that none of the expelled or suspended legislators, including himself, had received any notice or warning, whereas as per the NPF constitution a notice has to be served and only after a unsatisfactory reply, the Disciplinary Action Committee can recommend for any kind of action.

But no such procedure was followed this time, which is arbitrary according to the party constitution, Zeliang said.