EMN
Dimapur, February 17
The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee, reacting to Naga Peoples Front statement seeking its support during Loka Sabha elections, said it would field its own candidate. The party will soon announce the name of the candidate who could work for the interest and aspiration of Naga people.Convenor of the Search Committee and former president of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), KV Pusa, in a release today, said names have been shortlisted and that party candidate will be announced soon. He said several capable persons are willing to serve the people but the party has decided to field a suitable person who could work in the interest of Naga people. He said welfare of the people is top on the Congress agenda and added that the party will continue to work on that line.
“We request people to support the Congress so as to deliver goods to the people. Our party is for the grassroots people,” Pusa said.
Making it clear that the Congress will not support NPF candidate, Pusa said four NPF MPs were sent to the Parliament to speak for the welfare of the people but they had betrayed the masses and come back to the State politics.
“Now Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio wanted to contest leaving the highest post which would be a total betrayal of the people,” he stated. The NPF MPs were W. Wangnyu Konyak, former Lok Sabha MP, former Rajya Sabha MP TR Zeliang, former Lok Sabha MP CM Chang, now minister for School Education in the State and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi. Khekiho contested the last two Assembly elections unsuccessfully while TR Zeliang is currently Minister for Planning and Coordination and eyeing for the post of the Chief Minister if Rio leaves for New Delhi, he said.
“I don’t know why they wanted to come back to the State without fulfilling the promises made to the people,” Pusa said. He said NPF can fool people once but not all the time, saying Naga people are intelligent enough to know the intention of the ruling NPF.
Rebutting reports of BJP’s assurance to Rio for an early settlement of protracted Naga political problem, Pusa, who is also convenor of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Congress said, even during the time of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vijpayee, there were several rounds of talks between the Centre and the NSCN (IM) led by Isak Chishi Swu and Th. Muivah but no solution could be hammered out. He said BJP’s assurance was only an empty rhetoric to woo the innocent voters.
Pusa also said towards this effort, the PAC of Congress had already asked the Centre to expedite the peace process with renewed effort.
