Tovihoto Ayemi said the DMC power tussle stemmed from NPF divisions and not issues involving the BJP
Share

DIMAPUR — MLA and Advisor for Tribal Affairs and Election, H Tovihoto Ayemi, clarified that the power-tussle which emerged a few days ago in Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) was not related to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but stemmed from internal divisions within the Naga People’s Front (NPF).
Speaking during an inspection of drainage clearance works at Burma Camp on Friday, Ayemi said that since the BJP is a part of the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government, BJP councillors also needed to be accommodated in the DMC.
However, he said that for various reasons, the matter could not be worked out earlier, though he expressed hope that the issues within the DMC had now been resolved.
Also read: All buzz, no broom: CJP Dimapur drive fizzles out
Ayemi added that the government did not want to see such divisions at the municipal or town council level, describing the growing trend as “very unfortunate”.
He asserted that urban local bodies must provide and deliver services to the public in line with people’s expectations. While acknowledging that not every public demand can always be fulfilled, he said that efforts must still be made to ensure proper functioning of civic services.
He pointed out that whenever divisions arise within a party, office functioning often comes to a standstill for weeks or even months, affecting the delivery of public services. He assured that the government was making efforts to ensure such issues do not recur in the future.
When asked about the situation in Niuland Town Council, where BJP councillors are reportedly divided and a no-confidence motion has been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Niuland, Ayemi said that he was not fully aware of the issue but remained optimistic that the matter would also be resolved.
“We do not want this kind of problem,” he said.