Nagaland: AICC leaders meet Naga People’s Front chief ahead of assembly polls

Ahead of the assembly elections in Nagaland, an AICC delegation called on Naga People’s Front (NPF) president Shürhozelie Liezietsü in Kohima on January 12.

Though the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPF) called it a courtesy call, the visit is seen as the state Congress’ bid to cobble up a Secular Front to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Nagaland.

The AICC comprised party screening committee chairman Mohan Prakash, member Sanjay Dutt and secretary in charge of Nagaland Ranajit Mukherjee. They were accompanied by NPF working president Thenucho Tunyi.

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NPF president K Therie, on December 19 last year, said the state Congress had decided to form a Secular Front with like-minded parties to contest the forthcoming polls in the state in a bid to defeat the BJP and its alliance partners.

On Wednesday, the AICC delegation, led by senior party observer for Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura Mukul Wasnik, at a meeting with the NPF chief, along with party working president Bobby Panicker, in Dimapur deliberated on forming the Secular Front.

However, Therie said if the formation of the Secular Front does not materialise, the Congress may have to contest in all the 60 assembly constituencies in the state.

The NPF supported Congress candidate KL Chishi in the last Lok Sabha elections in the state. Chishi lost to Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progress Party candidate Tokheho Yepthomi by a thin margin.

The AICC team is in Nagaland to oversee the party’s preparedness for the forthcoming polls.