The National People’s Party (NPP) has approached the Nagaland Assembly Speaker seeking disqualification of five MLAs who joined the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) last week, citing the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
Separate petitions were filed against A Nyamnyei Konyak, Nuklutoshi, C Kipili Sangtam, Dr Tseilhoutuo Rhutso and Benei M Lamthiu under the Tenth Schedule. The move was confirmed by NPP national vice-president Vevoyi Wideo.
All five legislators had won the 2023 Nagaland Assembly election on NPP tickets before joining the NPF on October 1. The Nagaland Assembly Secretariat subsequently notified their merger with the NPF under the Tenth Schedule.
The NPP said it respected the constitutional office of the Speaker and would place its case before him in accordance with the law. The petitions now put the disqualification issue before the Speaker for consideration under the applicable anti-defection provisions.
The development follows the merger of 31 Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) MLAs with the NPF in October 2025, which was formally declared under Paragraph 4(2) of the Tenth Schedule.
