Guwahati: A BJP leader from Wokha district in Nagaland has expressed confusion and concern over the seat-sharing strategy with its alliance partner NDPP for the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections scheduled for June 26.
Vice President of the BJP Wokha Unit, Mhonshan Jami, in a letter addressed to the state BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi, highlighted the absence of clear instructions regarding the seat-sharing process although the election schedule has been announced.
He pointed out a recent development where the NDPP President of 40 Bhandari A/C allegedly informed BJP karyakartas that NDPP Treasurer Dr John Murry, after meeting with the Chief Minister and the NPF MLA of Bhandari Constituency, decided not to field NDPP candidates for the Bhandari Town Committee elections.
This decision was made without consulting the BJP, raising concerns about the alliance’s integrity.
“While it is upto the NDPP whether they want to take the decision with the opposition NPF party, we are concerned that the discussion for Bhandari was taken in the absence of the BJP as the BJP and NDPP have a clear seat sharing alliance under the PDA,” Jami wrote.
He expressed concern on how the NDPP leaders are allegedly “dragging” the name of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio down to a low level. “This is on clear violation of the spirit of alliance,” Jami said.
Jami reminded that BJP Nagaland worked hard in the recent Lok Sabha elections for NDPP candidate Dr. Chumben Murry under Neiphiu Rio’s leadership.
“The spirit of pre-poll seat-sharing alliance is of utmost importance to us (in spite of the fact that the Treasurer NDPP had supported the NPF against the PDA during the recently concluded Assembly elections) and therefore we have never raised any issue. But are we allowed to remain silent when he repeatedly dishonours the spirit of alliance?” Jami questioned.
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Further, the BJP leader suggested informing NDPP leadership about these concerns to preserve the alliance’s image and the cooperative spirit between BJP and NDPP.
Copy of the letter was also addressed to the National BJP president JP Nadda, NDPP president Chingwang Konyak, among others.
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