Oken Jeet Sandham
Barely 23 days are there for the State to face by-elections for two constituencies---Dimapur-I and Tuesang Sadar-II. The by-elections are necessitated due to the sudden demise of the sitting two BJP legislators, Dr Hokishe Sema and Lakiumung. It is understood the amount of loss the BJP party has when these two sitting legislators suddenly died one after another. The BJP is the second major alliance partner in the DAN coalition with its seven legislators and now its strength has reduced to five. Yet it still commands as the second largest coalition partner in the coalition ministry.
These elections to be held on March 8 in Nagaland are extremely vital, besides an acid test for the ruling DAN coalition Ministry and more so for its Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. Thus, the consultative meet for all the alliance partners called by the Chief Minister at his private residence in Dimapur is crucial.
Consensus will be the central point for the consultative meet. But this formula will unlikely be workable as the State BJP leaders may insist that they have their own candidates for the simple reason that those constituencies fell vacant due to their leaders’ sudden demise. Such demands cannot be undermined. Yet the major ruling NPF will perhaps make every possible effort to underline the importance ofputting up “consensus candidates” as, they might argue, it will not only give a positive message to the people of Nagaland about the complete harmony within the partners but also the importance of such a decision at a time when the peace process is stagnant.
Given that, if they fail to reach a consensus for the by-elections, it will certainly give a wrong message to the people, while the opposition Congress will have a smooth sailing in all the two constituencies.
And once the two seats lose in the hand of the opposition Congress, the party (Congress) will up the ante mounting their justification of Rio Ministry’s failure to Naga political front. And in fact, for Congress to win these two by-elections in Nagaland will certainly enhance its political image at a time when the State is left one year to go for general elections. For the Congress to set up their candidates in these two constituencies may not be much problem unlike the ruling DAN party, besides the party has now a new Governor, who is a Congress loyalist, and of course they have a friendly Government at the Center. But the speculation of former Chief Minister KL Chishi to be the Congress candidate for Dimapur-I cannot be taken lightly. He is undoubtedly one of the firebrand and vocal politicians and if he wins, the leadership within the Congress legislature party might also get stirred.
The coming by-election will give a real test to Rio’s leadership and one will see how he convinces the DAN coalition partners particularly the BJP during the consultative meet.
