Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) leaders with new members who joined the party after resigning from the NPP. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express news
Kohima | January 20
In a new political development for the Congress, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today announced that 15 National People's Party (NPP) functionaries have joined the Congress after resigning from the NPP earlier this year.
The new members clarified that their decision to resign from the NPP was not driven by any grudges or issues with their former leaders but by the desire to grow and progress in their political careers.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Kohima, Lok Sabha Member S Supongmeren, along with other party leaders, revealed that 15 prominent NPP leaders, led by the party's general secretary, have joined the Congress.
“We had a joint meeting with our leader Girishji (Girish Chodankar) and Christopher Tilak. We discussed about their aspirations and their decision, on how they have decided to join Congress,” Supongmeren said. He expressed optimism that this development paves the way for the Congress to better serve the people of Nagaland.
The MP further noted that these young leaders’ enthusiasm for grassroots service marks a turning point for the party in the state.
NPCC Working President Khriedi Theunuo stated that people are recognizing the Congress party’s programs and policies, prompting them to join. Theunuo thanked the new members for strengthening the party and remarked, “They have come prepared to support in the activities and struggle that our leader Rahul Gandhi has been undertaking.”
Former NPP Vice President Bitong Sangtam expressed hope for change and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the Congress. He emphasized that their decision was not born out of animosity toward the NPP but from a shared vision for the future.
“We have come as young people who can work for the party, we have tried our best to work in personal capacities but any party we work for we want to dedicate ourselves to it,” Sangtam added. He also highlighted that the lack of growth opportunities in their former party had left them stagnant, whereas the Congress promises ample space to explore their leadership potential.
Former NPP General Secretary L. Hiketo Shohe expressed his belief in the ethos and principles of the Congress, embodied by its veteran and current leaders at both the regional and national levels.
“I believe that Nagas in general need a drastic change and also a paradigm shift in politics,” Shohe said, citing issues like factionalism, border disputes, and development challenges. He stressed the need for leaders capable of effectively representing Nagaland in Parliament.
Shohe praised Rahul Gandhi’s commitment to regional issues, contrasting it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on crises such as the unrest in Manipur. “There are no political grudges, but we need to move ahead for the public in general,” he added.
The NPCC leaders also expressed concern over the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) reimposition of the Protected Area Regime in the state last December. They asserted that the policy isolates Nagaland from the rest of the country and impedes the state's progress. The Congress vowed to press the MHA to review the policy, observing that it is not only an impediment for foreigners but restricts the state to remain isolated from the country and other parts of the state. It said it is very serious about this new development and said that it signify the state is treated. Observing other such impediments it will have on the state, the Congress said it will not remain silent till the issue is addressed.
