Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Feb. 19 (EMN): A Town Hall forum for candidates from the 14th Southern Angami assembly constituency (AC) was held on Mon. afternoon at the Kitsubozou (Choto Bosti) Panchayat premises in Kohima. The constituency’s four candidates namely Vikho-o Yhoshü of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Medokul Sophie of the National People’s Party (NPP), Khrielezo Bio of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and Nagakul Tase of the Congress talked about their policies and programmes at the event.
The core assurances given by the candidates included good roads and footpaths, proper drainage, water supply; employment opportunities for youths through entrepreneurial avenues; uplifting the living standards of the poor and marginalized such as women, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens.
The 14th Southern Angami-I AC, consisting of six villages neighbouring Kohima and one colony (Kitsubozou) in the capital town, is one of the most critical constituencies in Kohima district for the ensuing election. All the candidates have contested from the constituency multiple times- NPF’s Bio, who has never won an election in the past, will be contesting for the fifth time. The other three will each be contesting for the third time. Among them, Sophie has represented the constituency during 2003-08 and Yhoshü from 2008-2018 while Tase failed to pull a single win.
Common platform turns personal
During Monday’s Town Hall meeting, two out of the four candidates while sharing their policies and assurances, turned rather personal as they rained scathing remarks on another political party.
Tase, in his speech, stated that the Congress party was a propagator of secularism while its rival NPF was, for many years, in alliance with the BJP, which he termed, was a ‘Hindu party’. Now, he said, when the alliance became invalid, the NDPP forged a new alliance with the BJP.
Pointing out the Congress’ manifesto where it has been assured to facilitate minorities to visit Jerusalem (Holy land) at a subsidized cost, Tase said his party was protective of Christians who are a minority in the country.
He also pointed out that another candidate from his village had earlier approached him to withdraw his nomination, which, he termed was an act detrimental for democracy. Stating that the Kitsubozou area was rather compact without much scope for expansion of roads, the Congress candidate assured that if he was voted into power, he would ensure water supply to the area once every week during dry season to help the citizens, he also assured to provide new footpaths, drainages, loans and grants to the youth for starting up enterprises, pension for 60 years of age and above.
NPF candidate Khrielezo Bio was less subtle in countering his rival party, the NDPP. While acknowledging the erstwhile alliance between the NPF and BJP in the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), he said the NPF was stern on its stand that ‘Nagas were not Indians’ but in the view that coalition with a central party was needed to push forward the aspirations of the Nagas, it had to enter in an alliance with the Janata party in 1977. However, he pointed out that the current NDPP-BJP alliance was different, claiming that NPF’s relationship with BJP was just a temporary association while the NDPP has “entered into a marriage” with the BJP, the ‘political wing of the RSS’.
“Nagas are not Indians, we are not Hindus...We are Christians. So this election, are you going to vote for Nagas or Hindus? Do you think we should work with Christians or with Hindus?” Tase challenged the electorate while soliciting their votes.
If elected, he assured to give his best to help uplift the youth, women, elderly, unemployed and for development of the constituency.
Former MLA Vikho-o Yhoshü, who represented the constituency for the last two terms, delivered a more moderate speech at the event. Stating that he entered into politics with a mission to overcome good with bad and work for the public including the youth, but he could not do much for his constituency as in the first term, he was a mere MLA. What little I was able to do, is out there for you to see, he said. He acknowledged the people for electing him for the second term in 2013, but while being able to initiate several works for the village in the first year, he pointed out that former chief minister Neiphiu Rio had decided to resign in 2014 and go to Delhi to represent the Naga people in the Lok Sabha. What followed then, was instability and crisis in the government, Yhoshü reminded. He said he was made to be in the “ruling opposition” for the following four years, and as such, there was very little or no scope to help his constituency people in development front.
What I have not been able to deliver to our constituency and to our people, I take full responsibility and I seek your forgiveness, he stated. Expressing confidence that the NDPP-BJP alliance would emerge victorious in the forthcoming election, Yhoshü while admitting that he already owed the constituency people much, but if they elected him for the third time, then he would definitely do all in his power to help uplift the area.
He admitted that he cannot guarantee to provide everything the people needed but that he would ensure they have good link road, connect different sectors with footpath and provide proper drainages, and give his best to help the youth, women and elderly.
Meanwhile, pointing to apprehensions on the new NDPP-BJP alliance, Yhoshü asserted that it was not a new thing for a regional party to be in coalition with the BJP. He mentioned that the erstwhile UDF had been an ally of the Janata Party since 1977 at the centre and in Nagaland, since 2003, the NPF and BJP were coalition partners. He explained that the NDPP agreed to a seat sharing pre-poll alliance as it felt the need to be in alliance with the ruling party if change and development were to come, particularly considering the state’s dearth in resources.
NPP candidate Sophie explained to the electorate that he had to shift his allegiance from Congress to NPP as considering the present political scenario in the state, and as a politician, he had to choose a side which had more prospects of coming to power in order to help the people. Coming straight to the point, Sophie shared his concern for the youth. He said the constituency currently has more than 1000 unemployed graduates and post-graduate degree holders. As a politician, he said he cannot promise to provide jobs to all the 1000 youth but that he aspires to open opportunities for gainful employment.
He also said there was a wide social divide in the constituency and if elected, he would ensure the marginalized gets basic requirements which were lacking now. On water supply, he said he has spoken to some personnel from PHED but they have given him a rider that he has to get elected first.
