With less than 25 days remaining until Nagaland’s polls on 19 April, the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) consensus candidate Dr Chumben Murry, alongside Congress candidate Supongmeren Jamir, filed their nominations for the lone Lok Sabha seat from the state on Tuesday. Independent candidate Hayithung Tungoe Lotha has already submitted his nomination, marking the first candidate to do so for the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Nagaland.
Dr Chumben Murry expressed optimism in securing victory with a full majority, backed by all 60 MLAs in the state, anticipating a ‘friendly’ competition among the three of them. Similarly, Congress candidate Supongmeren Jamir voiced hope for support from the Naga people.
Notably, independent candidate Hayithung Tungoe Lotha, previously associated with advocating for BJP votes, eventually decided to contest as an independent candidate after rumored ties with the Congress party.
The Naga Political Issue once again takes centre stage in the election discourse. Dr Murry emphasized addressing various issues, particularly the Naga Political Issue, with the backing of legislators and the public.
Jamir asserted that the Congress party aims to address the challenges faced by the people of Nagaland, including resolving the Naga political issue and meeting Eastern Nagaland’s demand, contingent upon the formation of the INDIA bloc government at the Centre. Jamir criticized both the PDA government in the state and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, accusing them of failing to fulfil Naga aspirations.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the handling of the Naga Political Issue and the Frontier Nagaland Territory demand, Jamir called on Nagaland’s electorate to conscientiously exercise their franchise in the upcoming election and remove the BJP government from the Centre.
The Congress this time has also upped its game with their main agenda to drive BJP from power. They have been campaigning under secularism and have always accused the ruling government at the Centre for targeting minorities across the country.
The Nagaland Lok Sabha election takes on a unique dimension this time, with the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) boycotting the election, urging Eastern Nagaland electorates not to participate. The boycott stems from the Central government’s failure to address the demand for Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) before the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct.
Reports indicate that the crux of the FNT issue revolves around the inability to grant Financial Autonomy to the FNT, a crucial demand of the ENPO. The organization has convened a meeting on 28 March from which new decisions may emerge.