Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 22
Amid speculations as to why the NPF party had not fielded a candidate for the upcoming bye-election in 60- Pungro-Kiphire Assembly Constituency, the party maintained that it did not receive any applicants.
The Naga People’s Front (NPF), the single largest party in the 60-member Nagaland State Assembly, had retained the most interior Pungro-Kiphire A/C bordering Myanmar for three consecutive elections.
Late T Torechu had won the 2008, 2013 and 2018 assembly elections on the NPF party ticket.
“It’s a loss of face for the NPF party in this remote and last assembly constituency. After winning three consecutive times, I wonder what made the oldest regional party to abandon its party workers and supporters of 60-Pungro-Kiphire A/C”, a staunch regionalist from Pungro said.
However, the NPF insisted that the party did not receive any applicant for the bye-election to 60-Pungro-Kiphire.
When contacted, NPF secretary general, Achumbemo Kikon, told The Morung Express that the NPF did not issue party ticket as the NPF’s Search Committee “did not recommend any candidate.”
On media reports that some candidates were aspiring for NPF ticket in Pungro-Kiphire A/C, Kikon categorically stated that “when the search committee did not recommend any candidate, why should we issue even if they advertise themselves as NPF ticket aspirant?”
The NPF leader said only Kikovi Kirha applied for the party ticket to contest in the by poll to 14-Southern Angami -1 assembly seat.
The NPF secretary general also dismissed reports that the party has entered into any pre-poll arrangement or ‘tacit understanding’ with other candidates apart from the BJP in 60-Pungro-Kiphire A/C.
Meantime, the NPF secretary said the NPF candidate in 14-Southern Angami-1 A/C has high prospect of winning and exuded confidence that the electorates would support the party.
“Anyway our party is not crazy after power. Even though we are in the opposition we are playing our role effectively,” Kikon maintained.
