DIMAPUR, March 30 - After days of speculation, the Opposition Naga People�s Front (NPF) on Saturday issued an official statement announcing its issue-based support to Congress candidate KL Chishi in the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Nagaland.
The party, in the statement, said it has agreed to be with the secular forces� candidate (Congress) together. However, it said, going together in the ensuing election will not change the party�s regionalism stand nor will it reflect as an alliance partner with the Congress.
Reading out the party�s official statement during the consultative meeting with central office bearers, divisions, central executive committee, frontals and MLAs at its central office in Kohima, party president Sh�rhozelie Liezietsu clarified that though the party has decided to lend support to the Congress, the decision is only for the upcoming parliamentary election.
Sh�rhozelie said the eminent danger before the Naga people lies in the form of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. He said the NPF decided to garner support of all secular forces together to fight the coming Lok Sabha election and take a stand against the Bill to defend the future of the Nagas.
He also said the NPF did not field its candidate as the Congress alone cannot unseat the ruling PDA�s Lok Sabha candidate Tokheho Yepthomi.
NPF Legislature Party leader TR Zeliang said it might be discouraging for the people that the NPF could not set up its candidate for the coming Lok Sabha poll. He said the party will give issue-based support to the secular (Congress) candidate. However, he maintained it does not mean NPF has an alliance with the Congress.
The NPF will vote for the Congress candidate KL Chishi to defeat the NDPP candidate Tokheho Yepthomi on the issues of secularism, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and resolution of the Naga political issue, Zeliang said.
