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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kohima district staged a protest outside the state BJP office, Kohima, on Monday demanding ticket for 15 Southern Angami- II Assembly Constituency.
Advisor of Youth Resources and Sports department, Zale Neikha, from the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), is the incumbent MLA from the said constituency, consisting of seven villages -- Sakhabama, Viswema, Kidima, Kezoma, Kezo Basa, Kezo town, and Khuzama.
In the pre-poll alliance between NDPP and BJP in the last state assembly election, NDPP had contested all the seven (including Tseminyu, now a separate district) assembly constituencies of Kohima district where it won five seats.
“We are demanding only one ticket and that is supposed to be given to us. Out of the six assembly constituencies in Kohima district, one is supposed to be given to BJP. By any means, by hook or by crook, we have to get”, BJP Kohima district president Khrielie Usou told journalists.
“If they (state BJP leaders) ignore our request or succumb to the pressure of our opponent (alliance partner NDPP) and if they try to divert the interest of the party by transferring the ticket to another constituency that will not be accepted by the Kohima district”, he warned.
‘For the sake of our alliance, Late Visasolie Lhoungu, former BJP state president of 11 Northern Angami II has to vacate and sacrifice his seat in 2018 since the NDPP candidate Neiphiu Rio, now chief minister happens to be from the same constituency’, he said.
“The sacrifice of our president and our (Kohima) district enables our government to come to power. But in politics, our sacrifice is not counted. They take our sacrifice as our weakness which is very unacceptable”, he added.
‘Without having any MLA in the district in 2018, still, the karyakartas of Kohima district have worked selflessly, dedicated wholly to the party. Now, the position of the BJP Kohima district excluding Tseminyu can win three seats if tickets were given to the BJP. That is the work and progress of BJP in Kohima district but because of the seat-sharing policy, we cannot ask for the whole winnable candidate’, Usou said.
General Secretary, Medochutuo Kiewhuo, also said the 15-Southern Angami II is the best performing mandal under Kohima region in terms of party workers, activities and directives and therefore emphasis had to be given to this mandal.
The BJP Kohima district submitted a representation to the BJP state leaders on Monday supporting the endorsement of former MLA Kropol Vitsu as the lone party candidate in the 15 Southern Angami-II A/C in the upcoming state Assembly election.
In the last 2018 election, the alliance was honoured and respected in the 20:40 seat-sharing formula with all the seven constituencies under Kohima region contested by the NDPP alone, ‘and the BJP as true to the alliance, played a key role in supporting them to victory’, the representation stated.
“This ensuing election, the Kohima region cannot be a sacrificial lamb of the altar of one-sided politics, therefore Kohima region more particularly the Angamis being a major tribe deserves a party ticket for 15-Southern Angami-II which has a solid high-winning rate and to bring home in the party headquarter a victorious party seat”, the letter added.
“In the case of contradictory rapport to our diplomatic calls, the Kohima district and party workers firmly reiterate to abstain from all forms of cooperation and strength to the party”, it warned.
The six A/Cs under the Kohima district includes 8 Western Angami A/C, 9 Kohima town A/C, 10 Northern Angami-I A/C, 11 Northern Angami-II A/C, 14 Southern Angami A/C, and 15 Southern Angami-II A/C.