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JD (U) secretary general KC Tyagi (centre) with the national party secretary Afaque Khan and Nagaland unit convener Senchumo Lotha while briefing the mediaperson in Kohima on January 13. (EM Images)[/caption]
Kohima, Jan. 13 (EMN): Secretary general of Janata Dal (United), KC Tyagi, on Saturday announced that the party would be participating in the forthcoming state assembly election scheduled to be held in less than three months’ time from now.
Addressing a news conference following a consultative meeting with the new team of JD (U) Nagaland unit at a hotel in Kohima on Januaey 13, Tyagi said the party is aware that some organisations have voiced their desire for solution to the Naga political issue before the 2018 election. While stating the party was of the opinion that “the miseries” of the Naga people and the commitment made to them must come into existence for the honour of the Nagas and the JD (U) would pursue for the same, he said the holding of elections is a constitutional obligation. “Therefore, hopefully, in the last week of February or in the first week of March, the elections will be held and we will participate to our strength,” Tyagi said.
He also informed that the party was reviewing its current coalition with the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. “We have not yet decided yet to be part of any coalition in the future in Nagaland. We have advised and given this task to the state convener, who along with the other senior party leaders will decide the future course of action,” he stated.
Although the party was not pulling out of the DAN, he said they were assessing the situation as things were ‘not normal’ in the front adding that decision would be made based on local convenience in consultation with the central leadership, and at an appropriate time.
He also stated that if the election is announced, then the party’s national president who is also the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, will be coming to Nagaland to campaign.
Stating that the JD (U) is deeply rooted to the Janata Party which was founded by late Jayaprakash Narayan, whom he attributed of as the “only one leader in the country,” who had highlighted, advocated and fought for the cause of the Naga people, their miseries, for their autonomy and sovereignty, he said JD(U) is concerned with Narayan’s legacy for the uplift of the Naga people.
Tyagi also expressed concern that while ‘sufficient fund’ was granted by the central government to the successive governments of Nagaland, he said the progress and development on ground were not upto the expectation. He alleged that that there was a political and economic instability in the state.
“The Centre is sending all kinds of assistance from time to time, but the schemes and the funds allocations are not being utilized by the state government and development is the first casualty,” he alleged, and assured to bring out soon the details of the assistance to Nagaland for employment, infrastructure, subsidy amount etc. and how popular pro-people schemes were not implemented here. He also pointed fingers that the amount which comes from Delhi get stopped at Kolkata. He did not elaborate further though.
When questioned why central or national leaders visit the state only during the time of election, Tyagi vehemently asserted that JD (U) party leaders had visited the state as well as Manipur and Assam at other times as well.
Supplementing to this, recently appointed JD (U) Nagaland unit convenor, Senchumo (NSN) Lotha said this visit of the party’s central team was to have a meeting with the new team of the party in thee state. An election team will come later, he added.
It was also learnt that Lotha was spearheading a dharna in Delhi to be held in the last week of Jan. or the first week of Feb. to highlight the issues of the Naga people.
When pointed out that JD (U) had been a DAN partner and it had not raised any Naga issues for the last five years, Lotha subtly sidetracked saying that if election was announced before the proposed dharna, then the latter would be kept in abeyance for some time, but if election does not take place, the dharna will definitely be staged.
“We have decided to have the JD (U) revived in such a way that we give Nagaland a central party with a difference,” Lotha stated, and went on to assure stability of the party. He maintained that the party wanted to register more members in the assembly and it look forward to not just the 2018 election, but that the party’s vision is ‘2023 and beyond’.
On whether the party would be contesting in all the 60 constituencies, he said the local response would be the judgment. When queried if any of the sitting MLAs contacted the party seeking party tickets for the forthcoming election, he replied in affirmative but refused to divulge further.
JD (U) national secretary Afaque A Khan, YM Humtsoe, the proposed chairman for JD (U) Nagaland campaign committee , and Manipur state unit convener were also present at the meeting.
According to Tyagi, this was the first party workers conference being held in Kohima after Nitish Kumar took over as the president of the party. “The meeting was beyond our expectations and we are very happy with the outcome,” he stated.
