Dimapur, July 14 (MExN): BJP Councillors from the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) have raised concerns about the conduct of their coalition partner, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), following the recently concluded Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Dimapur.
In a press release, the councillors highlighted that while the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) coalition government was originally based on a 40/20 seat-sharing arrangement between PDA and BJP in the general elections, the recent ULB elections saw a direct contest between BJP and NDPP. This deviation from coalition practices was confirmed by statements from NDPP MLAs of Dimapur 2 and 3, it stated.
The BJP councillors expressed their frustration, stating, "Even after the election was over we were not informed neither by our BJP party nor our NDPP alliance partners." They further explained that the NDPP proceeded to select the Chairman and Deputy Chairperson without consulting BJP elected councillors, depriving them of the opportunity to propose their own candidates. "The BJP elected councillors were not even given a chance to propose their candidatures," the statement read.
Adding to their grievances, the BJP councillors learned through newspaper reports that BJP legislators had requested the NDPP to appoint the Deputy Chairperson from BJP. This request was made without the consent of the BJP councillors, they claimed. "We were surprised to learn from the newspaper reports where our respected BJP legislators requested the NDPP party to appoint Deputy Chairperson from the BJP but it was done without our consent," the councillors noted.
They emphasized their willingness to sit in the opposition if necessary, stating, "We would like to state that if needed be we are willing to sit in the opposition." The councillors reaffirmed their commitment to the central leadership, stating, "The BJP elected councillors of Dimapur Municipal Council reaffirm to stand by the directive of the BJP High Command."
