Kohima: Political tensions escalated within the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) ahead of a crucial floor test scheduled for May 22, with divisions surfacing among ruling alliance partners over a no-confidence motion against chairperson Hukheto Yepthomi.
While the BJP backed the inclusion of BJP councillors in the civic body’s leadership structure, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) initiated disciplinary proceedings against six of its councillors for supporting the motion without party approval.
Speaking to local reporters at the Dimapur Airport after returning from New Delhi, deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton said the BJP-NPF alliance extended beyond the state government to municipal and town councils as well. He said BJP councillors should also be accommodated in the DMC and allotted portfolios as alliance partners.
Patton also urged PDA partners to collectively resolve disputes that had surfaced in several urban local bodies following the Urban Local Bodies elections.
NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon also said the party leadership was closely monitoring the developments and prioritising reconciliation despite disciplinary proceedings initiated against some councillors. He said the party constitution provided for measures including suspension and expulsion but maintained that efforts were being made to settle the matter amicably.
Kikon said the party leadership would hear all sides before taking any action and added that the leadership would meet at the earliest.
The crisis deepened further after the NPF Dimapur division issued show-cause notices to six of its councillors for supporting the no-confidence motion against Yepthomi without approval from the competent party authority. The notices, issued on May 16 by the party’s Disciplinary Action Committee, accused the councillors of acting in connivance with other political parties and violating the principles and constitution of the NPF.
The councillors were directed to submit written explanations within 24 hours, failing which the committee would proceed with disciplinary action in their absence. However, none of the six councillors reportedly responded even after the deadline expired.
The no-confidence motion was reportedly initiated by 12 elected representatives with six BJP councillors and six NPF councillors, led by deputy chairperson Imlinaro Stephanie Ezung.
Amid the tencion, Nagaland advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Zhaleo Rio recently revealed the state government was closely monitoring the developments in urban local bodies.
Rio had said mistrust and internal conflicts had emerged within municipal bodies soon after the ULB elections. He described the situation as unfortunate and said political differences within the ruling setup had contributed to the crisis.
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