Three BJP leaders join JD(U) ahead of Nagaland assembly election

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Nov. 16 (EMN): Three former BJP district unit presidents of Kohima, Peren and Wokha, joined the Janata Dal United (JD-U) Nagaland citing ‘loss of faith’ in the BJP leadership, both at the organisational and government level.

The president of JD (U) Nagaland, SNS Senchumo Lotha, made this announcement during a press conference held on Wednesday at Saramati Hotel in Dimapur.

He announced that Seyiekhrielie Nagi, former President of BJP Kohima District Unit; Tingsangai Pamei, former President of BJP Peren District Unit; and Yanthungo Kikon, former President of BJP Wokha District Unit, had resigned from active membership of BJP to join the JD (U) party.

Lotha said the three former BJP district unit presidents had resigned from active BJP membership as the BJP Nagaland state unit had failed to fulfill its “top-most commitment of Election for Solution”, which had been promised to the citizens of the state during the 2018 Nagaland Assembly election.

He further stated that the BJP is not “sincere” in finding an honourable solution to the vexed Naga political issue, but rather is “clinging to power” without fulfilling the Naga people’s desire for a peaceful solution.

Furthermore, Lotha stated that the three former presidents joined JD (U), under the command of Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, and MP and National President of JD (U), Lalan Singh, as the party had taken a stand, particularly during the former’s visit to Dimapur on October 11, to sincerely and actively support the negotiations for a peaceful solution to the protracted Naga political issue.

‘Kumar had said that he would not only support verbally but also try to draw the active support of other political parties and rally with them so that the long-pending problem of the vexed Naga political issue would be brought to an honourable conclusion, and for this reason they have decided to join the JD (U) party,’ Lotha shared.

He also mentioned that the party’s outlook is national but their functioning is regional.

Regarding the Naga political issue, Lotha stated that ‘since it has been officially accepted that the Naga issue is unique, the solution should also be unique and in that respect, the flag and constitution must be addressed’.

‘Until and unless the issue of constitution and flag is addressed, there is no solution at all and this stand is well accepted by the JD (U) at national level,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Yanthungo Kikon stated that under the current BJP leadership, ‘they felt that the party is going nowhere’ but had ‘high hopes’ in the JD(U) party at both the national and state levels.

Kikon opined that if they want to work for the welfare of the youths and the state, JD (U) is the best platform.

As of now, only three of them have resigned, he said but there might be ‘a lot of shifting from both the state and district levels in the future’.

Further, Seyiekhrielie Nagi, stated that the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party’s (NDPP) motto is ‘Change is Coming,’ but ‘nothing has come’.

‘They have not seen anything,’ he claimed , adding that another party must therefore be brought in to rule in Nagaland so that ‘true change can be brought to the state’.