Former Nagaland CM K L Chishi opts out of Feb polls
Source: Nirendra Dev *

New Delhi/Dimapur, January 28 2023: Former Nagaland Chief Minister and a veteran legislator K L Chishi has decided to stay away from next month's assembly elections.

"I have decided not to stand for this year's election," the senior Congress leader told 'Nagaland Page' on Friday evening.

However, he asserted, "I will remain in the Indian National Congress and work for the party to rebuild its glory" .

Chishi had last year announced his intent to contest polls from Atoizu assembly constituency and had even made a number of trips to the constituency between August and December 2022 .

He has represented this segment for multiple terms.

Interacting with a section of the public and supporters during a tour of Zunheboto town and Atoizu Assembly constituency in August, he had stated that in a democracy, a candidate's pledge was "sacred" and that if elected members promised something then they ought to honour their promises.

Former Nagaland CM K L Chishi

"Because you are expected to honour your words, you are called honourable MLAs and ministers," he said in his inimitable style.

Answering questions, Chishi said, "Corrupt governance under BJP-NDPP regime and a new political culture of gross abuse of money and muscle power are also reasons for my decision not to plunge into such a whirlpool of valueless politics" .

To a question, he said, "As a sincere political creature I can only lament on the state of affairs we are in.

The BJP and NDPP are behaving like strange bedfellows and though humorous, I also recall my old statement and even today the NDPP and BJP are like the conventional dogs in love.

They are together but they look in opposite directions' .

On the role of the elected MLAs, he said, "the world facilitator is a meaningful and powerful word.

As someone with a law background, I am careful with every word.

So, when some people say we are facilitators, that means you are promising to do anything and sacrifice anything for facilitating something.

In Nagaland, this meant Solution, but all of them did nothing and have also made it clear that they will do nothing for the common good of the Naga people" .

North East Polls imbroglio: Something fishy, centre buying time?

The business of news is linked to something strange and odd.

Apparently the BJP leaders both in some of the states and in the centre have often shown aptitude and appetite to hit headlines.

The reasons could be right and even wrong.

Reportedly there was some flip flop at the BJP central election committee meeting in Delhi on Friday, Jan 27, and the saffron party leadership decided to defer the decision on ticket allocation for Tripura as well.

While Nagaland and Meghalaya have voting date on Feb 27, time is simply running out for Tripura where polls are to be held on Feb 16 .

"If they are indecisive, they are also making us more indecisive...

election is a related sport," confessed a Congress leader claiming the BJP may take final decision on candidates either for Tripura and even Nagaland and Meghalaya only by Jan 31 or even after presentation of the Union Budget on Feb 1 .

A BJP leader from Meghalaya said, "Left to me I will be expecting the BJP parliamentary board meeting only on Jan 31 because they are going to sit serially for three states and not only for Meghalaya .....but also for Tripura and Nagaland" .

Another source in the know of things said the Budget session of Parliament begins on Jan 31 with Presidential address to the joint sitting of both Houses and next day the Finance Minister will present the Budget 2023-24 .

"This year's Budget will be the last full fledged Budget for the Modi Govt 2.0 before 2024 parliamentary polls.

This has to be populist and also do fine tuning to the urgent challenges of keeping the financial balance," the source said, implying the top BJP guns will be probably 'more than busy' on Jan 31 .

Possibly Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed displeasure at the manner electioneering has been handled this year especially in the context of Nagaland -- where there are utter confusion among voters as well key stakeholders like the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation.

The ENPO delegation is expected to interact with A K Mishra and other representatives in Delhi in the next 48 hours.

Separately, with regard to Tripura too, there is a row over demand for creation of a new state for 'tribals' .

Amid these, the talks for alliance with Tipra Motha fell through and the BJP is now left with the option of contesting the polls on its own.

The BJP central leadership met in Delhi on Friday and also okayed the entry of two dissidents - one from Trinamool Congress and the other from CPI-M .

The sitting Marxist MLA Mobaswar Ali of Kailasahar joined BJP along with a former TMC president.

The Tipra Motha chairman, Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, who was leading the alliance talks with the BJP declared that the party would go alone in the elections.

Tipra Motha's support could be crucial either for Congress-Left alliance and the BJP to form the next government in Tripura.

Addressing media persons after the state election committee meeting in Shillong, BJP Meghalaya unit chief Ernest Mawrie said, "We have prepared the list today and we are going to send it to Delhi immediately and we are going to declare the names of candidates within February 2" .

* The sender of this news can be contacted at nirendev1(AT)gmail(DOT)com .