merger
Members of Nagaland unit of Lok Janshakti Party and Congress have joined hands. Image Credit - Northeast Now

Several members of the Nagaland unit of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) joined the Indian National Congress (INC) fold ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) organised a programme in Congress Bhavan here on Sunday to welcome the members of the LJP to the Congress camp.

LJP’s Dimapur district mahila president Rosemary Kithan said although the LJP was existing in the state for the last four years, it “could not come on its own which led them to take the decision to join the Congress party”.

“Since the Congress has offered us a platform to work hand and hand, we are happy to join and work with them,” she said.

Welcoming the LJP members to the Congress fold, Nagaland PCC president K Therie said it was a “decisive decision” on the part of the LJP members to join Congress.

He said the people at the grassroots level are the most important segment of the society.  He exuded confidence that the Congress will come to power in Delhi by the end of May.

Therie said the Congress’ main focus will be on stopping the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, pressing for political solution to the Indo-Naga issue and to propagate secularism or freedom of religion.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]