Imphal, February 20: The NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region has banned all the candidates in Tamenglong Assembly Constituency from contesting in the third and final phase poll of the 9th State Assembly.

The Zeliangrong Region of the NSCN-K has said that it has decided to boycott the Assembly election in the Tamenglong A/C alone because the rival NSCN-IM has imposed its diktats on the people of the Constituency.

It urged all the voters not to turn out on election day.

The NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region while furnishing reasons for its latest move, said that Independent candidate Khangthuanang Panmei was made to apologise under duress before the NSCN-IM Kilo-Kilonser.

It added that the purported apology Khangthuanang which appeared in the local newspapers and was issued by the NSCN-IM was nothing but and apology note scripted by the NSCN-IM.

Panmei was forced to sign it under the barrel of the guns.

�Who is a Zeliangrong and who is not a Zeliangrong ?� questioned the NSCN-K statement adding, �Is Samuel Jendai alone a Zeliangrong and not the rest of the candidates in Tamenglong AC ?�.

Raising more questions, the NSCN-K Zeliangrong Region questioned as to why the NSCN-IM and the UNC campaigned only for Samuel Jendai.

It added that if at all there is to be a ban then all the candidates should be asked to withdraw from the election.

Singling out a candidate and forcing him to opt out of the fray is not acceptable to the Zeliangrong people.

The NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region aslo ridiculed the commonly used term of �blessing of the UNC or the NSCN-IM�.

It said that only God can bestow blessings and curses and no one else.

�If the NSCN-IM and the UNC can give the blessings, tell us the person in the NSCN-IM and the UNC, we will not hesitate to go and start worshipping them right away�, said the NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region.

The Khaplang faction of the NSCN, Zeliangrong Region also accused Samuel Jendai, a consensus candidate of the UNC, as bribing the NSCN-IM and the UNC leaders with lakhs of rupees.

Further lambasting the rival faction, the NSCN-K alleged that several NSCN-IM kilonsers and its military leaders are now camping in Tamei Assembly Constituency intimidating and threatening the public under the barrels of AK-47s to vote only for N.Awangbow.

The NSCN-K also alleged that the Government of India and the NSCN-IM are now openly working together �which is why the Indian security forces failed to do anything even though the NSCN-IM cadres are carrying out unlawful activities right under the nose of the Indian security forces�.

The statement further alleged that the Govt of India has been supplying rejected bullets to its security forces if the latter are to be posted in the area where NSCN-IM cadres operate.

�Seing all these activities of the NSCN-IM and the security forces, we do not want the activities of any Indian agency in Zeliangrong Region and we want to live as before where the Zeliangrong community lived happily with extreme cordiality among the the people�, said the NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region adding, �we do not want MLAs, MPs or DCs in our land, we just want to live as Zeliangrong people�.

A few days back, cadres of the NSCN (IM) had abducted Independent candidate in Tamenglong Assembly Constituency, Khangthuanang Panmei from his residence and decamped with arms issued to the security escort besides damaging some vehicles.

The candidate has since been released, but has allegedly withdrawn from the election after tendering an apology to the NSCN (IM).