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KOHIMA — The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has submitted around seven names, including women, to the national screening committee for the Lok Sabha election 2024, the dates of which have not yet been announced.
State Congress president, S Supongmeren Jamir, told Eastern Mirror on Monday that the names are already on the panel and the All India Congress Committee may declare the candidate once the Election Commission announces the dates for the election.
The NPCC will be in a position to declare the candidate only after the screening committee decides on the candidate, Jamir said.
Maintaining that the party is for women empowerment, the party leader said that the seven candidates include women, but not more than two.
Jamir said that the party’s decision to contest was based on the need to stand for secularism, to voice against the Modi-government policies like Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Before it is too late, if the Nagas can speak out against such policies, they can send a representative who is not in alliance with the RSS-BJP government. In this way, Nagaland can send a signal of opposition to the autocracy of the RSS which is in line with the BJP government and Modi's activities, the NPCC president explained.
Jamir went on to say that the state was in a crucial stage and that it was the responsibility of each citizen to exercise their vote with conscience. Stating that the main agenda is to fight the BJP elements, which are motivated by RSS activities, the NPCC is fielding its candidates to bring peace and unity among the minority tribes and Christians, and to serve the people, he added.
Nagas are aware of the scenario and issues that are going on in the state of Manipur and Assam, which is one step away from reaching Nagaland, he said, expressing hope that the people will exercise their conscience and vote to put an end to all of it.
“I think we should send a very reasonable representative who can voice for the Nagas, who will be strong enough to protect secularism in the state,” he added.
It is understood that Nagaland is an opposition-less government. But that was during the state assembly election. Now, the political scenario is different because the upcoming parliamentary election is for the country, he reasoned.
The NPCC president was hopeful that the party will ‘do better’ this time as the will not go with the ‘money game’ but for the conscience vote only.
Meanwhile, the Aam Admi Party has confirmed to this newspaper that it would not field any candidates for the lone seat in Nagaland.