DAN likely to come to power in Nagaland

Kohima, Mar 12: The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) is likely to get an invitation from the Raj Bhavan today to form the new state government, after the Congress decided to sit in the Opposition. On Tuesday, the Congress announced that it would not stake the claim to form the government and would prefer to sit in the Opposition.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had appointed I Imkong as new Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader after the new legislators communicated their views and opinions on the issue to her, said AICC Secretary in-charge of Nagaland, Siddharth Patel. Earlier, on Sunday, 34 legislators led by DAN leader and the former chief minister Neiphiu Rio presented themselves before State Governor K. Sankaranarayanan to stake the claim to form the next government. Of the 34 DAN legislators, Nagaland People's Front (NPF) has 26, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 2 and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 2 besides four Independents.

Rio said that one more Independent MLA had pledged his support to the DAN, taking its numbers to 35. He said he was awaiting a formal invitation from the Governor by this morning to form the next government. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held in the evening.

Although it was presumed earlier that President's Rule in Nagaland would be revoked by Tuesday night after the Union Cabinet met to pave way for the new dispensation to take over, DAN sources said the meet has been rescheduled for this morning.

ANI