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DIMAPUR — After experiencing his second consecutive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Hayithung Tungoe Lotha, a former independent candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat from Nagaland, stated that it has not dented his “fiery spirit to participate and win in a democratic contest.”
In a press statement on Saturday, Hayithung expressed gratitude to his supporters and well-wishers who cast their votes for him.
He congratulated S. Supongmeren Jamir for his victory and described it as a significant setback for the ruling PDA's 60 MLAs, characterising it as a "most humiliating defeat." He expressed hope that Jamir will be a diligent Lok Sabha MP, prioritising the interests and aspirations of Nagaland as paramount.
He also commended Dr. Chumben Murry, the PDA consensus candidate, for his energetic and motivating campaign, extending his best wishes for success in all his future endeavours.
Reiterating his commitment to advocate for the fulfilment of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation's (ENPO) Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) demand in the future, he emphasised that ENPO must recognise that in a democratic country like India, the ultimate authority rests with the results of the Lok Sabha polls.
He pointed out that lessons could be drawn from the fractured mandate of the Lok Sabha, where even small regional parties, with as few as one or two Lok Sabha MPs, have the ability to assertively influence larger parties like the BJP and dictate terms.
According to him, if the ENPO had voted and elected their own FNT-inclined Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland, the ENPO would have had strong bargaining power through the formation of a friendly central government.
Hayithung, therefore, urged the ENPO to participate in future Lok Sabha elections and elect their own preferred candidate. He emphasised that no vote means no power to decide, adding that they must understand that FNT can only happen through a friendly Prime Minister who is politically indebted.