BJP confident of winning elections with ally NDPP

February 12, 2023 22 Views No Comment

Agenda for the election is centered on development: Nalin Kohli

Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 12

The BJP expressed confidence of returning power in Nagaland, in coalition with the NDPP. The party’s National Spokesperson and incharge of Nagaland, Nalin Kohli, based the optimism on the “development works” the Central government has brought to Nagaland and the work that the BJP-NDPP coalition has done in Nagaland. He made the statement at a press conference in Chümoukedima on February 11, which he jointly addressed with the Nagaland BJP President, Temjen Imna Along Longkumer. According to Kohli, the people of Nagaland would “bless” the BJP-NDPP coalition again “to continue the good work of a double engine government” with Prime Narendra Modi in Delhi and Neiphiu Rio as Chief Minister in Nagaland.

Kohli, meanwhile, said that the “real election process” has started with the withdrawal of candidatures over with and the BJP getting the first MLA to the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly from the 31 Akuluto seat, where Azheto Kinimi was declared winner, uncontested, on February 10.

He said that the BJP’s agenda for the election is centered on development and would soon be coming out with the party’s development vision. As stated by Kohli, party’s top leaders led by the Prime Minister and Home Minister as well as its National President JP Nadda would campaign in different parts of the state.

Sarma’s hushed visit
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s brief but unexplained visit to Chümoukedima on February 9 had aroused suspicion of trouble in the BJP-NDPP coalition. Kohli however dismissed it as speculation “being sold by political opponents.” According to him, the Assam CM, as the Chairperson of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), enjoys good working relationship with many different leaders of the region, including Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio. He said that Sarma’s visit, last Thursday, was to discuss ideas and issues related to the party’s election campaign. “And contrary to what has been said, that there is a crisis… I would reject that completely. The alliance is strong, it was always strong. It was clear that we would contest the election in an alliance, in a 20:40 ratio as announced way back in July 2022,” he said.

Rubbishes Cong allegations
The Congress, for the past several days, since the elections were announced, has gone on a media blitz accusing the BJP-NDPP combine of failing on in its promises. The BJP was yet to react to the allegations until its state President was asked if the perceived silence implied admission of guilt. Longkumer maintained it was not as it only allows its development works do the talking. According to him, when the Prime Minister’s works are visible to all, “Why would the state BJP be blowing the trumpet of what is already seen by people?”

“There would be hiccups here and there sometimes, it’s natural. But if they were to criticise the BJP-NDPP government for not delivering, the people of the state are to judge,” he said, while claiming that the transformation that has happened in Nagaland should rather be appreciated.

Kohli said, “There’s a difference between Congress party model and BJP and its coalition partners. Their model is based on power ours is based on serving the people. Their model is based on criticism for the sake of criticism, ours is based in performance making sure that development and schemes reach the intended beneficiaries.” He said that the ruling coalition’s campaign model is on touching base with the voters. On the contrary, he said that the Congress model “is based on press conferences and criticising the BJP-NDPP.”

On ‘delisting’ demand
The Congress had also recently leveled allegations on the BJP of keeping mum on the Guwahati-based Janajati Dharma-Sanskriti Suraksha Manch (JDSSM) demand for “delisting” of tribal Christians or Scheduled Tribe communities, who have converted to other faiths other than Hinduism.

Both Kohli and Longkumer denied the BJP having any association with the JDSSM. Kohli responded, “As far as the BJP is concerned this is nowhere close to any of our agenda… You should ask that organisation. We believe in the Constitution… if someone has a point of view, they are entitled to it but that’s not our point of view.”

According to Longkumer, just because an organisation demanded so, does not mean that it has to be implemented. He said that “utterances” as alleged by the Congress was expected given that elections are scheduled in Christian majority states like Nagaland and Mizoram. “I am sure it is the propaganda of some vested interests political parties,” he said.