With BJP National President JP Nadda reiterating on the strength of the BJP-NDPP alliance by silencing all their doubters, the Congress continues to be the only ‘opposition’ in Nagaland in this election. From raising questions on the High Court and the medical college to warning how Article 371A can meet the same fate as Jammu and Kashmir’s Article 370, the Congress spokespersons have time and again played the role of the lone opposition party in the state.
Unlike Kohima and Dimapur, Mokokchung is farther away from Development: Congress
The All India Congress Committee (AICC), media coordinator, Mahima Singh, following her visit to Mokokchung landed in Dimapur today for a press conference where she slammed the BJP’s ‘35 pages long’ Manifesto for being disconnected from reality.
“I just returned from Mokokchung and have seen the road condition, the youths devoid of jobs, erratic power outages and taps devoid of any water. Where have they addressed those issues?” she asked.
“Unlike Kohima and Dimapur, Mokokchung is further away from development which the BJP is talking about,” she said, adding, “While Kohima and Dimapur are facing irregular power and water supply, I would say in Mokokchung, it is not only devoid of power and water supply but in an average household, there is no water. They have to buy water on a daily basis.”
She assumed that the deputy chief Minister must have been disconnected from reality when they launched the BJP manifesto calling Nagaland the ‘shining star of NE’.
Singh also talked about how she listened to the youths making ‘fiery speeches’ in 25 Mongoya, 26 Aonglenden and 23 Impur AC where they stated that they will not ‘sell their vote and will commit to vote in favor of reality’.
Singh further expressed shock over the violence that broke out in certain villages including stone pelting in the 26 Aonglenden AC.
“Where are the roots of this violence coming from?” she asked, urging the people and youths of Nagaland to keep unity above everything else for ‘election, the money and muscle power will all come to an end’.
She in conclusion reminded the people that BJP is yet to present a ‘report card’ of their performance to the state.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to hold press conference on Thursday
Additionally, she informed that Jairam Ramesh, the veteran leader of the Indian National Congress party, who has been named as one of the star campaigners of the Congress party will be holding a press conference on Thursday evening at Congress Bhavan, Kohima.
BJP rubbishes claims of delisting Christians from ST status
Following the allegation that the BJP has failed to object to the demand of RSS-backed Janajati Dharma- Sanskriti Suraksha Manch’s (JDSSM) where they demanded to delist Christian tribals from ST status, BJP National Spokesperson Nalin Kohli at a press conference in Dimapur today denied the allegation stating that “this is not the BJP agenda.”
He further asserted that he has never heard or met such organizations in his 20 years of working for the BJP and said, “Even if such organizations exist too, who cares? There are 50,000 organizations with 50,000 demands. What matters is this is not the BJP agenda.”
The spokesperson also addressed the rumor that ‘BJP is anti-Christian’ and said that BJP has always been about ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’ and that the party stands for the constitution.
“There is a pattern in the North-East that whenever an election comes up, either planted or fake news are circulated about how BJP is anti-Christians. The same thing happened in Meghalaya this week where there was a circulation that BJP is stopping people from celebrating Valentine’s Day. These are never the BJP agenda,” he asserted.
The BJP national spokesperson also reiterated that there is ‘no confusion’ on BJP-NDPP alliance and that it has always been 20:40 from the start and informed that a ‘whole galaxy of BJP leaders’ will be coming to Nagaland and will campaign together with CM Rio as well.
Meanwhile, John Barla, Minister of State under Ministry of Minor Affairs pointed out how the Centre did not have Christian representatives during the early days but today, he himself as a Christian is in the Central executive.
He went on to say that, because there are always huge crowds and gatherings in all villages in a BJP campaign, it means people of Nagaland accept Modi.
“They want development and only Modi can bring development,” he said, adding, “Modi hai to mumkin hai” (If Modi is there then it is possible!).
Patton denies rumors of NDPP-NCP-JDU-BJP alliance
Addressing the rumors purportedly doing the rounds in 59 Seyochung–Sitimi, 56 Noklak and 53 Tuensang Sardar 1 assembly constituencies that NCP and JDU are in alliance with NDPP-BJP, the Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton in the same press conference clarified that they are not in alliance and said, “even if they are elected, we will not accept them, we will not welcome them.”
He further asserted that NDPP-BJP will get a thumping majority and will form government under the leadership of Chief Minister Rio.
“We don’t want to repeat 2013, 2018. I don’t want to go to Kaziranga again. We could not even meet our wives those days,” he jested referring to the times when various MLAs drove down to Kaziranga National Park which led to a change in regime then.
