Nagaland: Naga People's Front not getting enough candidates to contest in 60 seats, claims party leader

Ahead of the Nagaland assembly election, the chief of Naga People's Front (NPF), Azo Nienu claimed that the party lacks enough candidates to contest in all 60 assembly seats.

The NPF legislature party leader Azo Nienu while speaking at an interview for a local media outlet asserted that his party is not getting enough candidates to contest in all 60 seats.

"Our party is just hand to mouth...we are having a shortage of candidates to find in all the 60 seats," he added.

When asked if the NPF would contest all 60 assembly seats, he stated that the party was considering contesting no more than 30 seats, but that seat allocation and ticket distribution would be decided by party leaders and legislators.

Also Read: Nagaland: Building understanding with all political parties, open to post-poll alliance, says NPF

The regional party has disclosed their plans of keeping doors open for any post-poll alliance, for which they are working towards building understanding with all political parties.

Earlier on January 19, the NPF legislature, Azo Neinu, said that the party has formulated a policy/strategy called “Pre-poll understanding for Post-poll alliance”. He also dismissed speculations of an alliance between NPF and Congress in the forthcoming election by reiterating that NPF will pursue “Pre-poll understanding for the post-poll alliance”. 

Azo said this was also shared by party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu when Congress leaders visited him recently.

He also stated that the NPF, NDPP, and BJP had formed the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in the larger interest of the Naga political issue. "The pressing demand for a solution to the Naga political issue may grow stronger after 2023, and thus we cannot rule out another all-party government (after the election")," he said. 

Azo, on the other hand, stated that an all-party government would not be formed if it did not serve the interests of Nagas.