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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 15 (EMN): Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton on Thursday urged National Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to the state, to give a “second thought” on the seat-sharing formula for the Nagaland Assembly election in 2023.
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and BJP had in July, announced the seat-sharing formula of 40:20, with the former getting 40 seats and the latter 20.
Addressing a state-level BJP workers meeting at Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima on Thursday, Patton said the seat-sharing should be “atleast 50:50 (30:30)”. He was of the view that sticking to the seat-sharing formula would indicate “zero performance” of Nagaland BJP legislators and karyakartas.
He added that the party has done a lot under the leadership of Temjen Imna Along and should allow the “lotus to bloom in Nagaland”.
Patton told Nadda to “please go and discuss our Nagaland issue and atleast have a second thought for our seat sharing”.
‘Nagaland has the highest registered BJP members among various political parties of the state. The membership is about 4 to 5 lakh at present’, he informed.
With the support of the karyakartas, he also assured “to bring 25 legislators”.
“It’s high time for Nagaland to have our own government and I assure our national president and central leaders that if given a chance, we will try our best to have lotus bloom and have our own government in Nagaland.
“Yet, it is up to the central leaders to decide,” he added.
The BJP legislator further said that Nagaland is a Christian state but there is “no religious issue and we will work together and allow lotus to bloom in Nagaland”, he said.
Nadda said the BJP-NDPP alliance was the decision of the party at the central level and told Patton to have “faith in the national leadership”.
‘As far as strategies are concerned, we know how to grow,’ he said, adding that BJP is a party that “fulfills commitment” and “stand with the commitment which we have given”.
“We have to go forward from pillar to post, from time to time, that lotus blossoms. But at the same time, respecting the commitment done by the central leadership is also the responsibility of the state unit,” Nadda said, adding that they would take the call.