DIMAPUR: The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has decided to support the ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) consensus candidate from the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) Dr Chumben Murry for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland in the upcoming general elections.
The decision to this effect was taken by the working committee of the party at a meeting at its central office in Kohima on Monday (March 11).
The NPF, which supports the PDA government from outside, has two members in the Nagaland assembly.
Earlier, the Nagaland unit of JDU, which is part of the NDA at the Centre, also decided to support the PDA candidate.
The party has one MLA in the Nagaland assembly.
NPF secretary general and MLA Achumbemo Kikon said the working committee resolved to extend support to the NDPP candidate for the lone Nagaland parliamentary constituency in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, upholding the spirit of opposition-less government which is now at the helms of affairs in the state with an objective to play the role of an active facilitator to bring about an early honourable, acceptable and inclusive solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue,
On the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, Kikon said there are four applicants, including the sitting NPF MP seeking the party ticket.
He said the NPF central office has constituted a search committee to identify the rightful candidate, “whose report and recommendation is still awaited”.
He added that the party working committee resolved to meet again at the NPF central office in Kohima on March 18 to discuss and decide on the matter.
Besides the NDPP, the Congress has fielded Nagaland Congress president Supongmemren Jamir to contest the Lok Sabha seat in the state.
With no other party or candidate declaring their candidature so far, the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state is most likely to witness a two-cornered contest.