Nagaland ULB election: Congress beckons youth, women

KOHIMA — Less than a week left for filing nominations to the urban local body (ULB) elections in Nagaland, the Congress party on Sunday appealed for maximum participation from the youth and women.

The State Election Commission had scheduled the filing of nominations from June 7 to the 11th.

Addressing a press conference here at Hotel Vivor, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland, Girish Chodankar said that the party wants maximum youth and women to be part of this election.

Asserting that the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) will guide them, he said the party wants to build good grassroot leaders for the future, youths who can really serve the people of Nagaland by protecting the interest of Nagas, the environment and various issues.

And since the elections will be on party symbols, the Congress has given the intending candidates full freedom to ensure that they truly represent the grassroot politics, he said.

“Once the grassroot is strengthened, it itself is a nursery for tomorrow’s ministers, politicians and members of Parliament. It is a training ground for younger generations,” Chodankar said.

He went on to state that the NPCC will encourage youth and women to be representatives of 36 town councils and three municipal councils across the state.

“In this way, it will strengthen the concept of local self-government, local leadership and bodies because it is the ULBs that truly govern at the local level,” he added.

NPCC president S Supongmeren Jamir informed that the party has so far received 16 candidates willing to contest the ULB elections.

Out of the 16 candidates, eight are female who will be contesting from reserved seats as well as general seats, he informed.

On the resolution of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) to abstain from the ULB elections, Jamir was of the opinion that it would have been better if the people of eastern Nagaland take part in the election process since it is for the development of their own people.

On Congress party’s alliance with the Republican Peoples’ Party (RPP), he clarified that alliance is confined to Tseminyu district only.

According to the NPCC, the party is mulling to contest at least 278 wards in the ULB elections across the state.

Chodankar rubbishes exit polls predictions

Responding to exit polls predictions that the NDA government would come back to power at the Centre, Chodankar commented that by June 4 morning the “trends will be very clear.”

“The people of India have voted against the fake promises, misgovernence, the youths have voted because of unemployment problem, people voted against the price rise and inflation. By and large, every Indian voted for future of India,” he said.

‘I’m confident that on the counting day, we will prove all these exit polls as another lie of this government (NDA)’ and give the true picture.”

The Congress leader also thanked the people of Nagaland for coming out and taking part in the electoral process.

Going by the way of the voters’ turnout and the way the NPCC team worked, he exuded confidence that Jamir would be declared as Member of Parliament on June 4.