Four months after the Congress party’s significant victory in Karnataka, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President Supongmeren Jamir has reiterated the party’s resilience, stating, “Congress is a party that can rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” This sentiment resonated strongly as the Nagaland Congress commemorated the first anniversary of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on 7 September.
NPCC President Supongmeren Jamir stated that the BJP is “worried after observing the political environment” and, as a result, they have introduced the agenda of “One Nation One Election” in an attempt to have “complete control over the voters.”
Jamir also asserted that people throughout the country want change because they have suffered enough under the BJP-led government since 2014. According to him, this was something the Congress party discovered during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
During the commemorative program, NPCC working President Khriedi Theunuo, said, “INDIA, the opposition front announced by leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will form the next government.” INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) is a big tent political alliance of 26 political parties led by the Indian National Congress to tackle the Modi-led NDA government.
According to Theunuo, if INDIA secures victory, with the Congress as one of its partners, it would pave the way for the Congress party’s return to power in Nagaland.
Former Chairman of the Minority Department, NPCC, Rajesh Kumar Sethi, conveyed Rahul Gandhi’s commitment to securing victory in the 2024 elections. “Rahul Gandhi has given us a guarantee that in 2024, we will win the election, so we believe in him,” emphasized Sethi.
Sethi also revealed his recent meeting with senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, expressing hopes that Nagaland would be included in Rahul’s upcoming Bharat Jodo Yatras.
“It will be nice if Rahul Gandhi comes to Nagaland and holds the Bharat Jodo Yatra for a day or two. If he comes here we can mobilize lakhs of people to participate in the yatra and in that way his confidence will also be boosted. We will even request the members of Nagaland BJP to join us,” he said.
Furthermore, Sethi highlighted the controversy surrounding the term INDIA, suggesting that even the mere mention of the name has rattled the Modi Government, leading to the “India-Bharat controversy.”
The NPCC has been undergoing a significant transformation, welcoming new members into the party’s ranks and recently establishing a Political Affairs Committee. The party has also activated its Public Grievances Department, aiming to address various public issues. Moreover, the party has provided opportunities to emerging young politicians like Er Thomas Konyak and Er Meshenlo Kath, inspiring youths to join the party.
In recent months, the NPCC has seen a surge in membership, including individuals from the legal community and prominent figures such as President of the All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA), and a former Secretary of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). The latest additions to the NPCC include Akhu Kath, a retired Deputy Commandant of Nagaland Home Guards, and Michael Apon, a retired Assistant Leprosy Officer.
The party also had their first statewide tour program starting on 29 August 2023, where four districts: Phek, Kiphire, Noklak, and Tuensang were covered. The party is set to begin the second leg of the tour program on 11 September where Mokokchung will be the party’s first stop.