HC suspends Mongsenyimti VC’s decision to allow only 1 candidate from Mongsenyimti village

DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 5: The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has issued an interim order suspending, among others, the decision of Mongsenyimti Village in Mokokchung District to allow only one citizen from the village to contest the forthcoming elections from 24 Angetyongpang Assembly Constituency.
According to Court records, the petition was filed by S Moangkaba Ozukum ~ son of Late T Sentichuba, a former Legislator. The hearing was held on Monday.
“List the matter after four weeks. In the interim, the decision/resolution dated December 28, 2021, made by the Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden/Village Council, the announcement dated June 1, 2022, made by the Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden/Village Council, the announcement dated October 19, 2022, made by the Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden/Village Council and the information/announcement dated October 23, 2022 made by the Mongsenyimti Senso Mungdang shall remain suspended until further orders”, stated an order issued by Justice LS Jamir.
Records and documents available with Nagaland Page show that on December 28 last year, the Mongsenyimti Senso Mungdang (citizens’ meeting) had endorsed and approved the decision of Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden to give the ‘privilege and responsibility’ of contesting said elections only to the person chosen ~ the incumbent Minister for PWD (Housing and Mechanical) Tongpang Ozukum.
The June 1 proclamation issued by Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden to the citizens of the village stated that except for the elected incumbent, no citizen of Mongsenyimti Village would be allowed to contest the forthcoming elections; while the October 19 proclamation stated that the petitioner was no longer a citizen of Mongsenyimti Village.
Again on October 25, it made an announcement in the Ao vernacular Tir Yimyim informing that the petitioner was no longer allowed to conduct himself as a citizen of Mongsenyimti Village and that he petitioner was barred from entering the territorial jurisdiction of Mongsenyimti Village.
For now, the order issued by the Single-Judge Bench on Monday has placed all these resolutions/declarations under suspension.
On October 27, the Court had heard a similar case originating from the same district. A citizen of Chungtia Village, T Chalukumba Ao, had filed a case against his village’s alleged decision to select a consensus candidate for the coming Assembly elections in the State.
According to Court documents, he was aggrieved by a resolution passed in Chungtia Senso Meeting (meaning Chungtia citizens’ meeting) on December 28, 2021, wherein it was resolved that in the coming General Election of Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Major B Toshikaba Longchar would be the consensus candidate of the village for 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency.
He was also aggrieved by the consequential notice issued by the Village Council of Chungtia “informing and warning all the villagers of Chungtia that if they go against the resolution passed in the Chungtia Senso Meeting, they will be fined 7 pigs”.
“…the petitioner, who is one of the villagers of Chungtia village, is before this Court challenging the resolution and the consequential notice”, it stated.
Then, Justice Songkhupchung Serto had issued an order directing the Registry to issue notice to the respondents, returnable within five weeks.
“As for the interim prayer for stay of the impugned resolution of the Chungtia Senso Meeting and the consequential notice issued by the Chungtia Village Council, the same shall be heard on the returnable date”, it had stated.
(Page News Service)