NPF president launches district tour to revamp party ahead of Assembly polls

Mokokchung(Nagaland), Nov 23 (PTI) Naga People's Front (NPF) president and former chief minister Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu launched district tour starting from Mokokchung to revamp the party at all levels ahead of the Assembly polls due next year.

He was accompanied by party central leaders including working presidents Thenucho Tunyi and Huska Sumi, secretary general Achumbemo Kikon and NPF Legislature Party leader and co-chairman of United Democratic Alliance, Kuzholuzo Nienu.

The NPF had won 25 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections, but on April 29 this year, 21 NPF legislators declared their merger with the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).

Addressing party workers Liezietsu said, "When the 21 legislators defected many people were of the opinion that NPF was finished, but for us it is not. Though they betrayed their own party and their own electorates by defecting to another political party, the NPF functionaries in all the divisions (districts) remained intact." He said NPF has no regret for the defected MLAs and quoted Lord Tennyson’s words "It is better to have a hundred enemies outside the house than one inside".

Calling upon the party functionaries to tell the Naga people that NPF will work hard and see that they will take over the government, the NPF chief asserted that "if NPF takes over the government, it will frame appropriate economic policy suited to the state’s condition to make the state self-sufficient and to remove dependency syndrome." "We will also work out the right type of fiscal policy so that money is made available to the public by various departments, money is spent for the purpose for which it is given, mounting figures of liability and debt will be checked, release the salaries of the government servants in time," he said.

NPF will also work out policies for human development by experts in various ways, such as social, cultural, language, religion, etc, he said.

He affirmed to set up voluntary youth brigade in all villages in collaboration with the churches to check evils like the present unchecked flow of liquor, drugs, etc.

NPF Legislature Party leader and co-chairman of UDA, Kuzholuzo Nienu said with elections round the corner, people will flock here and there into political parties while the 21 former NPF legislators have gone for good.

"Their leaving the party is the best thing ever happened to NPF and now we should stand firm and work hard to bring back as many MLAs to form the next government in the state... we will be able to create another history with the support and hard work of party leaders, workers and supporters in the coming elections. Everybody has to contribute their bit to bring back the party to power," said Nienu.

Former minister and NPF working president Tunyi said with the rejuvenation process of the party at the grassroots in progress, NPF will surely do well not only in Mokokchung district but throughout the state to form the next government.

NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon said the NPF represents the sentiments and wishes of the Naga people in general and reiterated the party’s collective stand "for an inclusive, honourable and acceptable solution to the Naga political issue". PTI NBSRG NBSRG RG