Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 6
Naga People’s Front (NPF) president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu today said the party has so far fielded 58 seats for the forthcoming election to the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
He said two seats are yet to be fielded, adding the party will see whether it will be wise on its part to locate the candidates.
There are 31 new faces out of 58 candidates fielded by NPF.
“We are on the march to face election. God willing, we will form the government again,” Dr. Liezietsu told the media persons here after releasing the NPF election manifesto here.
He said when NPF form the government again, the party will accommodate the smaller parties whoever want to be with them, adding that the NPF will take all of them into its fold.
On parting away with BJP
Highlighting the sequence how the NPF parted with BJP again, Liezietsu said Bharatiya Janata Party was with NPF for many years and the latter had protected them when Congress wanted to uproot them a number of times.
Stating that without any reason BJP dismissed his government in July last year and since BJP has treated NPF very badly, “we decided to part with them.”
Liezietsu, however, maintained that the BJP leaders from Delhi approached NPF continually requesting them to review the decision.
After reconciliation had taken place in the party and also considering the urgency to create a congenial atmosphere with the ongoing political dialogue between the Government of India and Naga National workers such as NSCN (IM) and Naga National Political Groups for political solution, the NPF CEC considered it necessary to review the matter and resolved to maintain the earlier status, he added.
“We have resolved to maintain earlier status having alliance with BJP,” Liezietsu said.
Regarding seat sharing, the NPF had “agreed in principle” but details were being worked out “through proper exercise according to the merit of each case,” he said.
However, he said that BJP demanded “more and more seats.”
“When they asked 15 seats, we say we cannot. We told them to try our best to consider 4/5 seats if we find it convenient as an alliance partner. We did our best. We had earmarked about five constituencies,” he said.
At that juncture, NDPP came forward and offered 50% of the seats, he said.
“Tempted by that promise so they have taken decision to go along with NDPP. NDPP had already given 20 seats to BJP,” the NPF president added.
They themselves walk away from us and not the other way around, he said terming it as “a blessing in disguise.”
Liezietsu claimed he is freer to speak now. “India is a secular state. We will be very careful not to say anything against other people, other religions but Nagaland being a Christian state, we will commit to the people that we will protect our faith in Nagaland,” he concluded.
List of NPF candidates 
