Kikon hopes Pfoze won’t embarrass new party

KOHIMA — Days after Dr. Lorho S Pfoze resigned from the primary membership of Naga People’s Front (NPF), the party secretary general, Achumbemo Kikon, on Thursday expressed hope that the former will not embarrass the political party he has chosen to join.

When asked about the stand of NPF, Kikon responded: “I don’t want to comment, but since you are asking, he was given a ticket to contest in the Outer Manipur parliamentary seat and fortunately, with the effort given by the party, he won. Now, you don't know how much embarrassment he has given us.”

It may be mentioned here that the former Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Dr. Pfoze had on September 11 resigned from NPF party and subsequently, on September 16, joined the National People’s Party (NPP) at Shillong.

Also read: Dr. Lorho S Pfoze resigns from NPF, cites need to ‘widen horizons’

Earlier, speaking to Eastern Mirror, Dr. Pfoze alleged that although the denial of ticket in the last Lok Sabha election was not the main issue, the party eventually began sidelining him. He added that the NPF party is very limited in its approach. That is why he decided to explore other avenues, to widen his horizons and be more available for service to all communities.

Kikon pointed out that during his tenure as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Pfoze was disqualified for filing a false affidavit. Although he was later reinstated by the Supreme Court and completed his term, the NPF secretary general remarked that such incidents have repeatedly embarrassed the party.

“On certain issues, he was not very cooperative. So, the party was actually supposed to even take some stringent measures against him. But since he is also a gentleman, we didn't want to resort to such things. But now he has resigned.

“He has gone looking for greener pastures, but I can only say that the way he has embarrassed the NPF, I hope he will not embarrass the political party that he has chosen to join,” said Kikon.

Meanwhile, the NPP national president, Conrad K Sangma, has appointed Dr, Pfoze as the national secretary of NPP for the tenure 2025–2028.

Pfoze’s media statement misleading, says NPF

In a press release on Thursday, the NPF has hit out at Dr. Pfoze’s statement in the media on September 16 that the NPF is a “highly exclusive political party” with “no room for members from other communities.”

“This statement is factually incorrect, misleading, and unfortunate, especially coming from a person who was himself the official NPF candidate for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency in 2019,” the party stated.

The NPF also maintained that Dr. Pfoze was relatively unknown beyond his immediate circle before 2019, but that the NPF took the bold decision to nominate him after extensive consultation and spade work.

“The party invested its resources, energy, and manpower tirelessly to ensure his victory. He was elected with a margin of about 80,000 votes — a feat made possible because NPF reached out to all sections of society, not just the Nagas,” it stated.

Dr. Lorho’s statement, therefore, displays a regrettable ignorance of the party’s organizational structure, policies, and its close relationship with every community in Manipur. As a former MP, he ought to have acknowledged the contribution of the diverse electorate that sent him to Parliament rather than dismissing them with such an immature and divisive remark.

According to the NPF, Dr. Pfoze’s remark showed regrettable ignorance of the party's organisational structure, policies, and its relationship with every community in Manipur. It went on to state that as a former MP, he was expected to acknowledge the contribution of the diverse electorate that had sent him to Parliament, rather than making an immature and divisive comment.

“The NPF reaffirms its commitment to remain a platform for all communities, irrespective of tribe, faith, or background, to work collectively for lasting peace and development in Manipur” the release added.