CM Chang on Lok Sabha seat, Ministerial position

Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Nagaland CM Chang has issued a clarification through his Press Secretary, Timir Choudhury, on his retaining the Lok Sabha seat at the Centre and also being a Minister in the State.

According to the press note CM Chang expressed surprise on what it termed as the ‘ignorant statement made by Congress MLA C. Apok Jamir wherein the latter was quoted in one of the local newspaper as “questioning about the step taken by the Lok Sabha MP opting to resign from the Member of Nagaland Legislative Assembly after bring elected as MLA and having sworn in as a Cabinet Minister on March 5, 2013.”

Reiterating what CM Chang had stated earlier, the press note pointed out that he could ‘remain as minister in the DAN-III government and also continue to be the Lok Sabha MP as per election law”. “He has decided to sacrifice his assembly seat to remain as Lok Sabha MP till bye-election is held for the 51 Noksen A/C as per schedule by the ECI in order to avoid Parliamentary bye-election in the State which could possibly be held in September-October 2013 and again the 16th Lok Sabha election by April-May 2014”, the press note stated.

Referring to Apok Jamir’s statement, CM Chang stated that it was “his free will and the election law does not deter him from contesting the assembly election even if one has to resign later while still a sitting Member in Parliament.” Further the press note stated that CM Chang has every right to attend the assembly session, having been sworn in as minister in the State and clarified on his earlier statement to the press that “he resigns from MLA and not from minister in the State”.

The press note also termed as misleading the report in the media that CM Chang had given up his “plump portfolio of School Education to remain as opposition MP at the Centre”. It was clarified that “one can be nominated as minister in the State for a period of six months besides being an MP until one got re-elected within a period of six months”.

It was also pointed out that the question of allotting Cabinet berth to “disgruntled senior elected legislators as reported in the press does not arise” and termed it as misleading. Finally the press note reiterated that CM Chang will contest the by-election for the 51 Noksen A/C whenever it is scheduled by the ECI within six months. It advised the Opposition Congress not to mislead the people by issuing ‘ignorant statement”.