DAN launches CMP for Feb 23 polls
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India
Kohima, February 14 2013:
The Democratic Alliance of Naga-land (DAN), a pre-poll combine of the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF), Bharatiya Janata Dal (CJP) and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has launched its Common Minimum of Programme for the February 23 elections.
The pre-poll alliance was formed early January with the sole objective of defeating their common opponent, the opposition Congress.
The DAN document was released yesterday in Dimapur, the traditionally Congress bastion, led by Chief Minister and also advisor to the NPF, Neiphiu Rio.
Explaining that the very reason behind the pre-poll alliance between the NPF, BJP and JD-U, was to ensure stability, Rio said "Even if the NPF can achieve absolute majority, we sought the alliance with BJP and JD-U to strengthen ourselves" .
Taking a dig at the Congress manifesto promise of one laptop each to higher secondary students, he said Nagas can no longer be played around.
Being a national party, he said, the Congress should set up engineering, medical or technical institutes in the State instead of promising laptops.
All India General Secretary of the BJP and ex-MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Tapir Gaon accused the Congress of 'misguiding' Nagas for more than 40 years.
"We have been made to live like museum specimen for anthropological studies," he said in his address.
Gaon further maintained that the Nagaland Chief Minister would be the 'power centre of the North East' in the event of the NDA coming to power in Delhi.
"Trust the DAN because the future of Nagaland is with the DAN," he said.