Dimapur Congress crisis deepens as Rajesh Jain refuses DCC president post, citing lack of consensus and concerns over process.
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DIMAPUR — A day after the Dimapur District Congress Committee (DCC) objected to the removal of its sitting president, Rajesh Kumar Sethi Jain on Thursday declined the post of DCC Dimapur president, writing to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership that he had neither sought nor expected the appointment.
In a letter to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Jain described the appointment as a surprise and said he was not an aspirant for the position.
“Nearly a year ago, I had conveyed my aspiration to serve the party at the national level in the AICC as Secretary or Joint Secretary…particularly with the objective of ensuring representation for both the Jain community and the Northeast region, especially Nagaland,” he stated in his “non-acceptance” letter.
He also noted that his appointment may not be acceptable to several party members at the local level and urged the leadership to review the decision in the interest of organisational harmony.
Also read: Dimapur DCC shake-up sparks backlash; workers cry foul over ‘sudden’ removal
“I fully respect the sentiments of all our karyakartas and strongly believe that organizational harmony and collective acceptance are essential for strengthening the party…I humbly request the leadership to kindly review and reconsider this appointment in a manner that is acceptable to the party organisation in Nagaland,” he stated.
Jain further raised the issue of representation of non-Naga communities in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, stating that there has been no such representation for nearly 45 years and that the demand for a non-Naga candidate from the Dimapur-I general seat remains “valid and important”.
“I shall continue to serve the party in any capacity assigned to me, in the larger interest of the organisation and its values,” he added.
The development comes amid opposition from the Dimapur DCC, which on April 1 held a press conference backing incumbent president Kutoho Chishi and questioning the process behind his removal.
The district unit stated that it was not consulted prior to Jain’s appointment and warned that it would stand by proper procedure, adding that it would continue to support the current president if due process is not followed.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) is scheduled to meet in Kohima on April 4 to discuss the issue of appointing new presidents, covering not only Dimapur district but also a few other districts facing similar concerns.