Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 7
The Indian National Congress (INC) which had witnessed much disarray and desertions within its Nagaland state unit today admitted that the party was not fully geared up to fight the upcoming Nagaland assembly election.
However, the party found an alibi for its poll unpreparedness by squarely laying the blame on its arch political rival, the BJP.
Addressing a press conference here at Hotel Saramati, a 4-member team of the AICC’s election observers including chief observer and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, Nabam Tuki, AICC secretary in charge Nagaland, Dr. Jayakumar, sitting MP Gaurav Gogoi and former Assam minister Pradyut Bordoloi, said the party was “caught off guard” by the poll announcement as the initial thinking was that “solution” to the Naga issue would precede election. Dr. Jayakumar recalled that earlier on January 29, all political parties in Nagaland had heeded to call of Naga civil societies for ‘solution and not election’ and agreed not to contest the assembly election.
But the BJP betrayed the people’s trust and was the first political party to announce that it would fight the election. “It is an unfortunate situation. INC is not in a frame of mind to contest election and at the last moment we are forced to contest the election to fulfill constitutional obligations”, Jayakumar said.
The AICC leader said since the Congress was “forced” to contest at the eleventh hour, the party could not field candidates in all 60 assembly seats and informed that so far 23 INC candidates had filed nominations.
Terming the BJP-NDPP pre-poll alliance as “political adultery”, Jayakumar said the “unholy alliance” did not spell any good for the Naga people as a “casteist force” with Hindutva agenda was trying to make inroads into Nagaland on the “shoulders of Rio (NDPP).”
Pradyut Bordoloi said just as election was imposed, the BJP was now trying to impose its parochial and aggressive Hindutva agenda on the Naga people. He said the INC was aghast at the teaming up of RSS-BJP with a regional party (NDPP) and asserted that the DNA of the NE people can never gel with the RSS ideology.
Alleging that the “BJP is for the RSS, of the RSS and by the RSS”, Gaurav Gogoi said after coming to power in the Centre, the BJP has been manipulating the Constitution and persecuting religions and peoples not subscribing to the RSS ideology. The MP said after Modi took over as Prime minister, Christmas Day was declared “Good governance Day”, “Good Friday” as “Digital India Day and, oddly enough, for the first time Christmas carols were not heard last year at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Stating that the INC does not want “saffronization of Nagaland” but ensure that the unique culture and identity of Nagas thrive, Gogoi said the coming assembly election was therefore not only about bringing development but also protecting the culture and identity of Naga people.
AICC chief observer, Nabam Tuki, said the tall promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the North East states and people have turned out to be the “biggest lies” and alleged that instead of developing and supporting the NE states, the BJP-led government at the Centre was gradually cutting all resources including central fund allocations to the region.
Former Nagaland minister and Congress leader, I Imkong, who also attended the press conference, said the INC still remained committed to an early and honourable settlement of the Naga political issue. The AICC leaders said the poll planks of the INC are good governance, employment and healthcare.
Meanwhile, dismissing speculations of any pre-poll alliance with the regional Naga People’s Front or other political parties, the AICC leaders said the party would keep its options open for post-poll alliance.
