Mokokchung, October 9 (MTNews): Former Chief Minister, KL Chishi, during the launching program of STREE (Support Team for Relief, Emergency & Empowerment) 1800-203-0589, a toll-free helpline for women by Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress at Congress Bhavan in Dimapur on Friday took a dig at the NDPP and BJP issuing whips not to declare candidates for the upcoming assembly election.
He was referring to the NDPP president’s order on August 29 to his party members not to self-declare as a candidate for the General Assembly Election stating that the election has not yet been announced and that the party has not finalized the candidate list yet.
Following the NDPP, on September 26, the BJP Nagaland president also directed all his party members at all levels to “desist from any form of lobbying, campaigning and declaration of candidature(s) in any manner whatsoever.”
Both NDPP and BJP warned that those defying the whip would invite disciplinary action.
“But why?” KL Chishi wondered, adding, “They issued this whip right after they said they would share the 40:20 seat, but now they have an internal issue that has become an epidemic and will soon turn into a pandemic.”
He then exuded confidence that there will be a Congress MLA this time, even if it is not him if an Assembly election were to be held.
Speaking to a crowd that included NPCC President K. Therie, congress officials and Mahila units from all districts, he thanked the women for remaining in Congress and trusting in the leadership of the Congress.
“Women are society’s best complement. Women are the best complement to men. Men cannot survive without women, but there are many women who can lead without men,” he said, citing examples of women political leaders in India and around the world. “Naga women are no less than any other women,” he added.
He also admitted that people do not want to openly express their desire to run for election on a Congress ticket, but he stated that the Congress is growing both in India and Nagaland.
“I’ve been asked why I’m running for office in a party that doesn’t even exist. However, the Congress is coming to Nagaland,” he stated.
He claimed that he remained in Congress because the Indian National Congress, from the start, is the only party that has united India in diversity.
“The BJP is tearing India apart. They also want to splinter Congress because we are a national party and a secular one,” he added.
He further claimed that he had received invitations from other regional parties and the National BJP, but that he chose to stay with the Congress because of the party’s democratic values and ideology.
“If I win, I will win from Congress and if I lose, I will lose from Congress,” he added. If elections were to be held, Chishi said he would contest from 32 Atoizu A/C on Congress party ticket. In his final remark, he recalled how the NDPP, while swearing in at Kohima Local Ground, talked about bringing changes and urged the Mahilas to actually enumerate what changes they had brought and, if there was a change, whether it was for the better or for the worse.