Kohima, Feb 20 : The Congress has strongly refuted claims that fissures in the party leadership was responsible for the resignation of four of its legislators from the Assembly to join the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), the largest constituent of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland

Former Congress Legislature Party leader and MLA I. Imkong said there was no rift in the party leadership and these claims were “absolutely” ridiculous. The sole objective of spreading these rumours is to create division in the party, he added.

Peeved by the claims of the NPF and the defected legislators, Imkong said chief minister Neiphiu Rio is doling out crores of rupees from the state’s exchequer to buy the MLAs at the expense of common people.

Asked if more Congress MLAs would resign, the former CLP leader said the party was closely monitoring the latest situation in the state. “We don’t care if anyone wanted to resign,” Imkong said.

He said a CLP meeting would be held on Saturday to chalk out strategies, but flatly denied that change of leadership in the CLP and the Pradesh Congress Committee is imminent in view of the resignation of four of its members. “The party is solidly united. There is no crack in the party,” he said.

He added that the party workers have expressed support to the leadership of CLP leader Chingwang Konyak and PCC president K.V. Pusa. 

However, some Congress workers said more MLAs would quit the party if the leadership was not changed immediately. Congress sources said there is a crack in the party leadership and the situation can be corrected if the leadership is changed. But the PCC president said both the CLP members and the PCC have expressed their confidence and support to him and Konyak.

“We have the support of our party members,” Pusa said.

Last Friday, two Congress MLAs, Kejong Chang and Aloh Konyak, resigned from the Assembly and joined the NPF. Last night, after much speculation, another two Congress legislators, Azheto Sumi from Dimapur-III and Deo Nukhu from Chizami constituency under Phek, quit the Assembly and joined the NPF.

Speaker Kiyanielie Peseyie immediately accepted their resignation. NPF sources said more Congress MLAs would resign to join them. 

The legislators who quit have cited internal crisis as the reason for their resignation. 

The Congress, in the meantime, has asked the Centre to initiate an inquiry into the “cash for MLAs” scam by the CBI or a committee headed by a judge of the Supreme Court or the high court. The PCC and CLP said the four MLAs were paid Rs 5 crore each. The NPF, however, refuted the allegations. 

On Tuesday, after a closed door meeting of the PCC and DCC, a team led by Pusa met Governor K. Sankaranarayanan and submitted a memorandum requesting him to call in either the CBI or constitute an inquiry committee to probe into the “cash for MLAs” scam.