BJP led NDA Government will storm back to power : CM Neiphiu Rio
Source: NDPP Media *
Kohima, March 30 2019:
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today expressed confidence that the BJP led NDA Government will storm back to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and therefore called upon the people to vote consciously for the PDA consensus candidate and sitting MP Lok Sabha, Tokheho Yepthomi.
Addressing public rallies today the 30th of March 2019, at Noklak and Thonoknyu, the Chief Minister said that the election to the Lok Sabha is one of the largest electoral exercises in the world.
However, since Nagaland has just one seat in the Lok Sabha, the lone MP from Nagaland to the Lok Sabha represents the entire people of the State.
As such, it is the people who should decide whether they want to elect an MP who can convey the voice of the people in the Lok Sabha in line with the Government's ideologies and objectives in coordination with the State Government, or whether they want an MP from the opposition who will not coordinate with the State Government and instead sit in the opposition benches in Parliament.
Rio was confident that the public knows better as to which choice is more pragmatic and workable for the people of the State.
Rio opined that Nagaland is a small State which is dependent on the Centre and it will only be in the fitness of things if the State Government and the Central Government are in an alliance.
The Chief Minister stated that today, people want peace and development and such an atmosphere would be all the easier if the people elect the PDA candidate so as to be in the NDA in Delhi.
It is to this effect that alliance was maintained with the BJP since 2003 till date.
The Chief Minister was optimistic and stated that even opinion polls were showing favourable outcome for the NDA at the Centre.
The Chief Minister expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the BJP national leadership for reposing their faith in his leadership and entering into a pre-poll alliance with the NDPP.
He explained that the BJP snapped ties with the NPF as the BJP had lost faith in the leadership of former Chief Minister T..RZeliang and the NPF party.
Rio further informed that the State Unit of the BJP had issued a press statement in the local papers today that it entered into a pre-poll alliance with the NDPP and would continue to uphold the spirit and unity of the alliance.
This was to counter the NPF's campaign of lies and deceit and attempts to woo the BJP with propositions of merger and taking over the Government.
Giving a brief background on how he had revived the erstwhile NPC in the form of the NPF, Rio reminded the gatherings that the NPF under his leadership had faced 3 consecutive General Assembly elections and won every time.
He stated that after he went to Delhi as MP Lok Sabha, the NPF indulged in intra-party squabbles and eventually sidelined him besides also fighting amongst themselves.
He attributed to this to the party's poor leadership and averred that the in-fighting which is continuing till today in the NPF has only brought defeat upon their own selves.
He ridiculed the NPF leadership of being in the habit of misleading people through lies and cited numerous instances starting from T..RZeliang's false claims of being a graduate up to the claims that the NDPP will be derecognized by the Election Commission of India and all NDPP MLAs will stand disqualified after which NPF will form the Government.
The Chief Minister stated that the NPF's failure to set up a candidate to the Lok Sabha and instead support the Congress candidate is a mockery since NPF has 26 MLAs in the House while the Congress does not have a single MLA and had also lost the last 3 general elections in the State.
This had demoralised the NPF MLAs and party workers and severe in-fighting had cropped within their ranks.
Rio also said that the two NPP MLAs, Imnatiba and L.Khumo had also cautioned the NPP not to set up candidates as it will be against the spirit of the PDA which had set up consensus candidates.
The two NPP MLAs had made their stand clear on the party platform that if the NPP sets up candidates then they, the two elected Members will have no choice but to take counter-measures in order to maintain the spirit and preserve the unity of the Alliance.
In Thonoknyu, the Chief Minister called upon the supporters of MLA L.Khumo (who was elected on NPP ticket and recently merged with the NDPP) and the NDPP supporters led by 57 Thonoknyu ex-candidate Y..PChillo to join hands and work together for the welfare of the people.
In both Noklak and Thonoknyu, Rio pointed out that the only opposition party in the Assembly, the NPF now had no candidate to the Lok Sabha and the 26 Aonglenden A/C and called upon the people to judge for themselves whether it is worth supporting such a party which is in opposition in the State and will also be an opposition at the Centre.
Such was the state of the NPF party that 7 NPF MLAs had rebelled against the party leadership and openly declared to support the PDA in the
ensuing elections.
The Chief Minister stated that he was eager to see development reach every nook and corner of Nagaland including Noklak and Thonoknyu and therefore urged upon the people to join hands and work together with the PDA Government in making this dream into a reality.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Y.Patton, sitting MP (LS) and PDA candidate Tokheho Yepthomi and Advisor Haying while Advisor L.Khumo and a large number of party leaders and workers attended the rallies.
* The sender of this news can be contacted at ndpppress(AT)gmail(DOT)com .