DIMAPUR, MARCH 30 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Saturday said its decision to support Congress candidate KL Chishi in the upcoming Lok Sabha election was issue based. It also spelled out that this decision will not change the stand of the party’s regionalism nor will it mean forging an alliance with the Congress. This was mentioned in a press release issued by the NPF today.
NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu while delivering his official statement during the NPF consultative meeting between the CoB, Divisions, CEC, Frontals and MLAs held at Central Office, Kohima pointed out that even though the party has decided to lend support to the Congress, the get together would only be for the upcoming election.
Dr. Shürhozelie said the NPF decided to garner all secular forces together and thereby take a stand to defend the future while raising concern over the eminent danger posed before the Naga people in the form of Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016) if passed as an Act by the Centre.
The NPF president also recalled that in his political journey, he had suffered for many years under the Congress rule. However due to the issue confronting the future of the Naga people, the party has decided to make the “best use of a bad bargain and stand with the Congress candidate.”
NPF legislature party leader, TR Zeliang in his speech echoed the same sentiment and said giving support to Congress in the ensuing LS election does not mean the party would have an alliance with them.
The NPF will vote for Congress to defeat the NDPP candidate on the common issues of secularism, CAB and resolution of the Naga political issue, Zeliang stated.
Speaking on the seven NPF MLAs who deserted the party to support the PDA Government and the NPF candidate who withdrew his candidature from the 26 Aonglendeng bye-election, Zeliang lamented that these people have bargained the trust of the public and the party for their personal benefits.
Castigating the statement issued by the seven NPF MLAs, the former Chief Minister said the development was not sudden but perpetuating for quite a long time and that they were looking for a pretext to leave the party.
The seven NPF MLAs, among their reason for joining the PDA government had claimed that the absence of an NPF candidate in the Lok Sabha elections 2019 and the decision to support the Congress was against the principle of regionalism and this necessitated their decision to extend cooperation and support to the PDA consensus candidate and the PDA government.
Rebutting their allegation, Zeliang claimed that when the 26 elected NPF MLAs met on March 18 and 23 to deliberate on the upcoming LS election, all the seven MLAs had opined not to set up candidate and instead support the Congress, adding, “They may be cheating the people with their false statement, but they have cheated themselves.”
‘Door still open for the seven MLAs to return’
Zeliang also pointed out that the seven MLAs are legally still with the NPF and every elected MLA is bound by the party constitution and not by any Assembly speaker. He said the party have served show cause notice of seven days during which time the door was open for the MLAs to return. After the stipulated time, the party would be compelled to initiate further course of steps, Zeliang cautioned.
During the discussion, the division presidents and the representatives who took part asserted that the party is intact and reaffirmed to stand by the party decision and principle.
