Alliance with NPF depends on situation and directives — Congress

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, May 23 (EMN): The Congress party said that the continuation of the current alliance with Naga Political Front (NPF) depends on the situation and the directives of the party high command; however, the NPF says the alliance will continue.

This remarked was made by both the party leaders of Mokokchung district during a joint press conference at Hotel Metsuben. They informed that the alliance was formed to fight against the communal front and expressed hope that the alliance will continue.

The general secretary of the District Congress Committee, Mokokchung, P Aley, explained the nature of alliance forging between the two oldest parties in the state, which is stated to be one of the greatest political party rivals in the state.

“Congress did have a contender to contest for the by-election to the lone Lok Sabha seat of Nagaland, and the NPF President Shurhozelie Liezietsu has snapped ties with NDA Government and withdraw from North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA),” Aley said.

NEDA is a political coalition formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with regional political parties like the NPF, Sikkim Democratic Front, People’s Party of Arunachal, Asom Gana Parishad, and Bodoland People’s Front in Northeast India on May 24 2016.

Informing that the NPF president has written a letter to Congress high command to endorse support for NPF nominated candidate for the ensuing by-election and the condition lay down by Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) was responded positively by the NPF, Aley said that on secular ground since NPF have no alliance with the communal party, the Congress has decided to give full support to the NPF, if they stand for the secular front.

“NPF is a regional base party and will never be communal, that aligned us to forge the alliance to fight against the communal front,” a senior Congressman said.

On query, the NPF Mokokchung division general secretary, Tangit Imsong asserted that the NPF is regional and a secular base party and the last 15 years alliance between NPF and BJP was a matter of convenience in politics.

Imsong clarified that to maintain its identity ‘NPF never shared seats with BJP and contested in all the 60 seats for the last decades directly fighting friendly matches with BJP in the polls to show the party was never communal.’

The party approached the Congress after coming to an understanding that all secular party must join together to fight against the communal force, he infromed.

When asked why Congres-NPF alliance was not formed during the recently concluded state assembly election, the NPF officials replied that the state general election was to do with the governance of the state.

Earlier, a joint meeting between NPF Mokokchung division and District Congress Committee was held. The division president, Moasangba Jamir said after the installation of the BJP Government in the Centre, the secular country has been hijacked by communalism.

In this connection, he called upon the secular parties to rebuild secularism let the people live in peace.  He also informed the party workers the by-election is progressive in the district.

DCC president, Watimongba Aier said the political situation has brought the two parties to forge an alliance to fight against the communal front. He also appreciated the NPG for its secular stand and pledge support for NPF candidate C Apok Jamir. Senior party workers from both the parties also spoke at the met.