Nagaland Assembly Speaker Vikho-o Yhoshu has recognised TR Zeliang, leader of Naga People’s Front (NPF) Legislature Party, as the leader of Opposition in the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly with effect from the afternoon of March 13, an official notification said on Thursday.
Zeliang has been recognised as the leader of Opposition in pursuance of Section 2(a) of the Salary and Allowances of the Leader of Opposition in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Act 1992, the notification said. He retained Peren Assembly constituency defeating his nearest Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) rival by over 5000 votes.
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The NPF won 26 seats out of the 58 seats it contested in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state. Nagaland Assembly has 60 members.
On the first day of the first session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 13, Zeliang congratulated Yhoshu on being elected as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The role of the Speaker is to maintain absolute neutrality and impartiality and uphold the dignity and decorum of the House, the former chief minister said while expressing his confidence in the new Speaker that he would live up to the expectations of the members of the House.
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Zeliang also said in a democracy, majority prevails and therefore the Speaker should strictly ensure that laws and the procedures are not violated. He assured full cooperation from the Opposition as long impartiality in dispensing just decisions is maintained.
Meanwhile, NDPP president Chingwang Konyak has appointed CM Chang, minister of forest, environment and climate change, as the chief whip of NDPP while National People’s Party president Ato Yepthomi has appointed Imnatiba, MLA, as the chief whip of NPP. P Paiwang Konyak, minister of transport, land revenue, railways and civil aviation, has been appointed as chief whip of BJP by state BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu.