Police say candidate is ‘safe and healthy’
Morung Express News
Mokokchung | March 27
In a dramatic twist, the National People’s Party’s (NPP) candidate for bye-election to the 26 Aonglenden Assembly Constituency, O Tinujungshi Longkumer has been reported “missing” since last evening.
His whereabouts remain unknown to his supporters, opponents and observers alike, but reports suggest that he has joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and will withdraw his candidature on March 28.
The NPP Mokokchung District president, I Bendang Jamir has in this connection lodged an FIR at the Police Station 1, Mokokchung today wherein it was stated that the candidate “has been missing since March 26, 2019.”
It was further stated that the party fears that the candidate “might have been abducted.” Repeated attempts were made to contact the candidate as well as the NPP Mokokchung district president but they were unreachable. Meanwhile, some NPP supporters claimed that their candidate went “missing” since March 25 evening. The NPP candidate had filed his nomination papers on March 25, which was the last date for filing of nominations.
Mokokchung Superintendent of Police, Raguramarajan was quoted by The New Indian Express in a report as stating that the candidate is “safe and healthy.”
“We formed a SIT (special investigation team) immediately after receiving the complaint and it soon managed to reach him. He said he is safe and healthy and that he was not abducted,” he was quoted in the report.
He, however, refused to divulge details of the NPP candidate’s whereabouts. “He (Longkumer) will soon issue a statement,” the SP reportedly added.
On reports that the “missing” NPP candidate has joined the ruling NDPP, the Mokokchung Division’s President of NDPP, N. Bendang Jamir disclosed that no official communication of any such development was relayed to him. Admitting that he was aware of the word doing the rounds, N Bendang Jamir added that he has communicated with his party president Chingwang Konyak who he said was also not aware of the NPP candidate joining the NDPP.
Sources at the NDPP while not officially confirming that Longkumer had joined the party however informed that a statement would be issued on March 28 regarding the issue. Other sources close to the party indicated that the candidate has already joined the NDPP and would withdraw his candidature tomorrow.
Sources at the District Election Office Mokokchung confirmed that no candidate has till date withdrawn their candidature from the bye-election. It may be mentioned that four candidates representing the NDPP, NPF, NPP and INC have filed their nomination papers for the bye-election to 26 Aonglenden A/C.
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 28.
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