Naga People’s Front to field former NLA Speaker for Rajya Sabha seat, say sources

Our Correspondent

Kohima, March 19 (EMN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has decided to field veteran politician, Thenucho Tunyi as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, according to reliable sources.

It came a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced S Phangnon Konyak as its candidate for the polls to the Upper House of Parliament.

However, the NPF is said to be waiting for the outcome of the meeting between the working committee and the legislature wing before making the official announcement.

Tunyi, who hails from Kikruma village under Phek district, is one of the incumbent working presidents of NPF, a former NLA speaker and former cabinet minister.

Secretary General of NPF Achumbemo Kikon told Eastern Mirror on Saturday that the party is ‘determined’ to contest in the  Rajya Sabha election due to be held later this month but is ‘waiting for the consent of the party legislatures’.

He said “the meeting (on Rajya Sabha polls) is still inconclusive”, while pointing out that it is ‘the elected members who are going to vote and not the party leaders as only the elected members have the voting rights for Rajya Sabha seat’.

Kikon said the talk is still on between the working committee and the legislature party wing.

“We hope we will be able to come to the best solution,” he said.

He also maintained that the top functionaries are mentally prepared, and in this regard the papers for filling nominations were also ready.

Meanwhile, NPF President Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has written to its legislature party leader TR Zeliang (copy of which has been widely circulated), informing that Tunyi had come forward to stand for the upcoming election.

In this regard, he had requested Zeliang to take up the matter and entrust the MLAs to sign the nomination paper on Monday morning to enable the party’s nominee to file his nomination on time.

He had also written to the returning officer of biennial election to the council of states, Khruohituonuo Rio, authorising Vimeno Kuotsu, Co-Convenor of Legal Cell, NPF, to liaison with him for the Rajya Sabha polls on behalf of the party, as well as to collect and file the nomination paper on behalf of the party’s official candidate Tunyi.

No nominations till date

Meanwhile, Khruohituonuo Rio informed through a notification that no nominations have been filed for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Nagaland till 3 pm on Saturday.

The last date of nominations is March 21, while scrutiny will take place on March 22, and last date for withdrawal of candidatures on March 24 (before 3 pm).

In the event of an election, voting will be held at the Assembly Secretariat in Kohima, on March 31 from 9 am to 4 pm and counting of votes to be done on the same day at 5 pm.