The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has described the decision of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) to support Congress candidate KL Chishi for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Nagaland as “magnanimous and above political boundaries”.
In a statement on Sunday, NPCC president K Therie said the NPF’s decision to support the Congress candidate has not only strengthened the secular force but has also given a shot in the arm to the demand for removal of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
It will also help the Congress to press for carrying forward the peace talks for a final solution. “NPF’s sacrifice in the interest of secular forces will go a long way,” Therie said.
The Nagaland Congress said the battle is between the ideological forces of “communal Hindutva” and secularism, which offers freedom and the fabric of unity in diversity.
“We are standing together to protect our faith and identity and to carry forward political negotiations for solution at the earliest,” it said.
The NPCC chief appealed to NPF and like-minded political parties and thinkers to work together in the by-election to Aolengden Assembly constituency. He assured to support the “secular” NPF force if its candidate is elected in the by-poll.
According to Therie, if the INC candidate is elected in the by-election, he will be the “salt in the State Assembly curry”.
Given opportunity to rule at the Centre, Therie said, the Congress is “committed to support the formation of a secular like-minded government in the state”.
Lok Sabha candidate Chishi expressed gratitude to the NPF and its leaders for their “political sagacity” in supporting his candidature.
“Defeating BJP and its communal agenda like CAB will be the cornerstone of our understanding to safeguard Nagaland and its people,” Chishi tweeted on Sunday.
The NPF has not fielded any candidate for the Lok Sabha poll while its candidate for Aonglenden Assembly
by-poll Toshipokba Longkumer withdrew his candidature.
The party declared its support to the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha election but has not spelt out its stand on supporting the Congress candidate Alemjongshi Longkumer for the by-poll in the state.