KOHIMA, Oct 2 � The marred organisational elections of the Nagaland Congress have finally been rescheduled for October 6, but differences within the party are widening and the fight is now out into the open with the two presidential candidates, I Imkong and SI Jamir, trading ugly accusations through the press.
SI Jamir had issued a statement earlier claiming that altogether 47 eligible voters of PCC Electoral College have extended their support in writing to him and physically presented themselves to the Chairman, Central Election Authority (CEA), AICC, on Sept 22. In addition, he said five members who could not present themselves physically had voluntarily given the affirmation of their support in writing in legal papers, which makes it 52 members out of the total Electoral College of 81 in support of him.
Jamir also refuted the allegations that some members have been confined against their will. He said the charges were false and baseless adding that I Imkong is no longer the NPCC President. As one of the contenders for the post of President, he ceased to be the President the moment he filed his nomination papers that was accepted by the PRO on Sept 14, he had said.
There was an immediate response to this from I Imkong who claimed that since September 13, SI Jamir and some senior leaders have confined many members of the PCC in 3 camps � Delhi , Shillong and Guwahati. If there is no compulsion and if the members were free to exercise their right, then he (Jamir) should release them and let them move freely with family members and party workers, he had said in a release yesterday.
With regard to his continued functioning as President of NPCC, Imkong said it is as per the Constitution of the Congress party and accused SI Jamir of being �in a hurry to become the President by hook or crook for reasons best known to him�.
Moreover, he also overruled the Kohima District Congress Committee and revoked the suspension orders of the four Congress members who were reportedly involved in the violence during the Sept 17 elections. The four members are said to be his supporters.
Things got uglier today as SI Jamir issued a rejoinder stating that the public should not be �misinformed by habitual lies of I Imkong and group whose allegations show nothing but signs of desperation�. It also asked Imkong to spell out the names of those members of PCC Electoral College who are confined against their will.
The rejoinder also referred to Imkong�s �violent methods of winning in successive general elections in his constituency in the past� and alleging that �even now some of our members are threatened through SMS by using unidentified SIM cards�.
Jamir, moreover, reiterated that I Imkong, as one of the contenders, is no longer a full-fledged President and being an interim caretaker President with election model code of conduct firmly in operation, he has no power to revoke the suspension order of the four errant members issued by KDCC.
Meanwhile, a release issued by Convener of Youth Committee for I Imkong�s candidature Neiyo said the Committee had a meeting today and resolved to urge SI Jamir to pave the way for a free and fair NPCC Election.
�The illegal confinement of PCC members at Shillong and Guwahati by SI Jamir and claiming those members to be in support of his candidature for the post of NPCC President is uncalled for and such unwanted activities is condemned outrightly,� the Youth Committee said.
He also stated that the Youth Committee in support of I Imkong�s candidature will not tolerate the action of SI Jamir and that those PCC members who are still kept under illegal confinement may not be allowed to cast their vote on October 6 for disrupting the democratic process of conducting election.
