The Mukut Mithi ministry has a new face in T. L. Rajkumar. Governor V. C. Pande administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rajkumar, who has been made minister for Information Technology and Science and Technology. With this the strength of Mithi ministry has gone up to 39 - 24 Cabinet ministers and 15 ministers of State – in the 60-member assembly. Ruling Congress has 59 MLAs and the opposition Arunachal Congress has only one MLA. NSUI backs Mithi stand on State integrity The NSUI’s Arunachal Pradesh unit extended its solidarity to the State Government on its stand of not compromising with the state’s territorial integrity. NSUI State unit president Nabam Niba Hina said that Mr. Mithi’s statement was not personal but the voice of the entire people of the State. NPF gains absolute majority With the joining of two more NDM MLAs, NPF has emerged as the largest party in a house of 60; it has now 30 MLAs. North East News Agency

In what could be termed as a major political development in Nagaland, two NDM MLAs defected to the Nagaland Peoples’ Front (NPF), the major constituent of the ruling DAN coalition. With the joining of two more MLAs, NPF has emerged as the largest party in a house of 60; it has now 30 MLAs, while the Opposition Congress is left with 14 MLAs, followed by BJP (7), Janata Dal (united-3), Samata Party (1), and NDM (1). In addition there are four Intendments in the assembly. On July 7, NDM legislators S Heno and Mr S Hukavi representing Thonoknyu Assembly constituency, under Tuensang district and Zunheboto town constituency in Zunheboto district, deserted the party and subsequently floated a new one, the Nationalist Democratic Party (NDP). The NDM is now left with a lone MLA and former Housing and Home guards Minister ET Ezung, who was sacked from the council on June 28 last. The NDM, which had won five seats in the February 26 Assembly polls, split even before the formation of a new government following defection of present Social Security and Welfare Minister Kihoto Hollohon and Minister of State for Geology, Mining and Excise Kipili Sangtam. This was the second major political development in the State within two weeks after seven Congress legislators deserted the party on June 27 and subsequently formed the Nagaland Congress and than merged with the NPF. NDM MLA E. T Ezung may too quit the party. He will do so after strengthening his political base. It is doubtful whether he will join the NPF camp, which many think responsible his ouster from the DAN ministry.

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