AICC says it has not given clearance
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 23
Even as the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) is extending its support to the NPF candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha by-elections, all does not seem well within the State Congress and AICC as there was neither an official meeting resulting in such decision to support the NPF, nor any AICC directive.
NPCC President, K Therie told media persons in Dimapur on May 18 that the party has decided to support the NPF candidate even though the latter backtracked on setting up a consensus candidate. According to Therie, the decision to support the NPF candidate was to fend off threat to secularism posed by the NDPP-BJP combine.
The last NPCC Executive Committee meeting inclusive of PCC office bearers, frontal chiefs and DCC Presidents was held on May 15 at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur where it resolved that “unless NPF officially severs ties with BJP and announces alliance with Congress/UPA, NPCC cannot take decision to support the NPF candidate as we can never compromise the secular ideology and principles of the Indian National Congress.” A copy of the resolution is available with The Morung Express.
There has not been any official NPCC meeting after that concerning the by-election. However, the NPCC President in a letter (copy available with The Morung Express) sent to all Congress party men and women mentioned that on May 15, he called for an Extended Executive Committee and “decided to vote for the NPF candidate. “We are happy. NPF has committed to secular principles. They have assured us that they have no more relation with NDA and NEDA,” the letter stated.
Therie’s letter contradicts the NPCC official meeting resolution dated May 15 which mentions NPCC’s inability to support NPF for the time being.
When contacted over phone, AICC Secretary in-charge of Nagaland, Dr Jayakumar said “AICC has not given them (NPCC) any clearance to support this and that so far.”
“They (NPCC) are supposed to send the decision taken to us for our comment and approval. Since they have not sent anything to us regarding the decision, we have no binding and we can take anything (action) we feel like,” Dr. Jayakumar said.
Further, the AICC Secretary said that the party is waiting for the NPF to announce that they are not in the NDA, adding: “then we can support, otherwise we cannot support.”
During the election campaign at Pfutsero town on May 21, Therie also said that Congress party members expressed displeasure over the NPF’s choice of candidate “for reasons best known to all.” “However, members also considered the greater danger Nagaland faces today i.e., compromising with communal forces. Therefore, the NPCC has decided to support C Apok Jamir in this 2018 Lok Sabha bye-election. We hope he will live up to the expectations of the party which primarily is to uphold the principles of Secularism and Liberal Democracy,” Therie had stated.
