KOHIMA, April 2 � The much anticipated newly- formed common platform of the regional parties of North East region under the banner North East Democratic Front (NEDF) will be launched after the Assam general election.
Interacting with media persons here yesterday, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the platform was to have been launched at Guwahati earlier this month but could not be done due to the Assam polls. �The timing was wrong because of the Assam election,� he said.
Rio, however, said all the regional political parties in the North East will come together to supplement each other and raise a common voice after the Assam elections.
As per earlier announcement, the platform was to be launched on March 18 last at Guwahati. The regional parties of the region during a joint meeting in Delhi on February 20 had decided to come together in order to raise a common voice while expressing that �unless we raise our voice together our voice is not heard�.
Meanwhile, spreading its wings to the Naga-inhabited areas of other States, the Naga People�s Front (NPF) has announced the formation of its units in the States of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Making the formal announcement at the NPF Central Office in Kohima, Rio, who is also advisor of the party, said Adhoc Executive Committees of the two States have been constituted after thorough deliberation at a meeting held in Kohima yesterday between the NPF Central Executive Committee and representatives from the two States. The CEC of NPF has fully endorsed the Adhoc Executive Committees, he added.
NPF Manipur unit will be headed by G Gaingam as president and Solomon Veino as working president while the Arunachal Pradesh unit will be led by Tosham Mossang as president and Happa Tataong as general secretary.
Stating that the dates of formal launching will have to be decided by the units after holding general meeting with the people of the respective States, Rio further informed that NPF President Dr Sh�rhozelie Liezietsu will be officially writing to all the political parties in the two States seeking their cooperation.
Asked about launching of NPF in Assam, Rio informed that the Naga people there have clubbed themselves with Indigenous People�s Forum (IPF) and have therefore decided not to have a separate identity. NPF is in constant touch with IPF for the welfare of the Naga people in that State, he maintained.
With regard to the ensuing Assam elections, Rio said NPF would be extending good wishes to the regional parties, Assam Gana Parisad and Bodo party.
