KOHIMA, March 2 — The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland is all set to form a coalition government in the state having received the support of four Independent MLAs,which take their strength to 33 in the 60-member House, reports PTI. Announcing this at a press conference here today, the Nagaland People’s Front, leading constituent of the DAN, spokesman, K Therie, said that the four Independent MLAs had given their written support, thus enabling them to form the government.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, S C Jamir, said that he had accepted the verdict of the people and would submit his resignation tomorrow. The Chief Minister hinted that he would not stake claim for forming the government having just 21 MLAs ''unless he received committed'' support from other MLAs of various parties.
Therie said that the Governor had been informed of their strength and the alliance would submit to him the full list of MLAs within a day or two to formally stake claim to form the government. ''The DAN legislators are meeting tomorrow to decide the future course of action,'' he said. In a scathing attack on the ruling Congress, the NPF spokesman said, ''Jamir's men'' used their ''armed gangs'' to intimidate the voters, but the people have given a fitting reply to the 'misrule'. ''The new government, he said, would work hand in hand with the NDA government and our main aim is to secure a negotiated political settlement of the Naga problem.''
Vehemently denying the charge that the NSCN (I-M) had helped the NPF candidates to win by intimidating voters, Therie said that there might be truth in some ''individual cases but overall this was not true''. Denying the charge of booth-capturing, the Chief Minister charged the NSCN (I-M) with deploying all their ''armed cadres'' in rigging the poll in favour of the NPF. Terming the just-concluded poll as a ‘classic election’ Chief Minister alleged that village council members were asked to submit written assurance to support the NPF. Otherwise they were ''kidnaped and harassed''.
Jamir alleged that ''a number of Congress workers have been detained and their vehicles captured''. The Chief Minister said he had accepted the verdict and talked to the party president, Sonia Gandhi, accepting moral responsibility for the defeat. Jamir also announced that he would formally resign as the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee president and ''it was upto the High Command to decide''.
Asked as to who would be the new chief minister, the NPF spokesman said that tomorrow's crucial NPF legislators' meeting would decide who would succed S C Jamir as the next chief minister. ''We have to build up a consensus on every issue including that of the chief minister since we are functioning in a democracy,'' Therie said. Asked if the DAN was contemplating projecting Hokishe Sema, former chief minister and top BJP leader, Therie said this would be decided on consensus.