The District Congress Committee (DCC) Mokokchung on Wednesday challenged the reported en masse resignation of 61 party members, alleging that at least 12 names on the resignation list were included without the knowledge or consent of those concerned.
The development further deepens the internal rift within the district Congress, a day after a group of office-bearers and workers announced their resignation from the party, alleging “autocratic functioning” and organisational mismanagement within the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC).
Addressing a press conference at DCC Bhavan, DCC Vice-President Nukshi I Ozukum said the district committee began verifying the resignation list after reports of the mass resignation surfaced.
According to Ozukum, several Congress workers and supporters visited the DCC office seeking clarification after discovering their names on the list despite claiming they had neither resigned nor authorised anyone to include them.
He alleged that some signatures had been obtained through misrepresentation, while other names belonged to people who were not members of the District Congress Committee.
“So far, we have identified 12 such cases. We have brought the evidence before the media today, and our investigation is continuing. More such cases may emerge,” Ozukum said.
He said the DCC “strongly condemns” what it described as an attempt to misrepresent the organisational position of the party and vowed to pursue the matter “till the end.”
Three individuals whose names appeared on the resignation list also addressed the press conference, denying that they had resigned from the Congress.
One man said he was neither an office-bearer nor a member of the district executive committee and was surprised to find not only his own name but also those of his wife and mother included among the reported resignatories.
“I did not give my consent,” he said, adding that he remained a Congress supporter and had no knowledge of the reported resignation.
A woman whose name appeared at serial number 17 said she was shocked to see her name on the list.
“I don’t know anything about this. Whoever took my signature did so without my knowledge. I remain with the Congress,” she said, warning that she would not forgive whoever had allegedly signed or used her name without her consent.
Another woman, whose name appeared at serial number 57, also denied signing any resignation document.
“We don’t know anything about this. We never signed anything,” she said.
Responding to allegations made by former DCC General Secretary Prakash Aley that the district president had been removed before completing his tenure, Ozukum said the leadership change was part of a nationwide organisational restructuring initiated by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
He said District Congress Committee presidents were informed during a meeting in Ahmedabad last year that organisational changes could be carried out at any stage as part of the party’s preparations for the 2029 general elections.
According to Ozukum, the changes followed assessments conducted by AICC observers and were not specific to Mokokchung.
Maintaining that the district unit remained unaffected by the controversy, Ozukum said the DCC, Mahila Congress, Youth Congress and other frontal organisations in Mokokchung continue to function normally and remain “intact.”