Lotha Hoho Joint Action Committee (LHJAC) remained firm to its stand to go ahead with the bandh in Wokha district until State Election Commission (SEC) issues formal order to postpone Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) election slated on February 1.
The bandh would commence January 31 from 6am till February 1, 6pm.
Since, the move of the state government to postpone the ULB election was in contradiction to the decision of SEC (that the election process, cannot be stopped/postponed/deferred once the entire electoral process is set in motion and that has to be taken to its logical conclusion), the LHJAC has decided to go ahead with the bandh.
On January 30 at the joint meeting between JCC, NBCC and state government, the government had decided to postpone the election for two months (subject to the decision of the state cabinet and SEC).
However, Lotha Hoho was not satisfied with the decision of the state government. The cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (January 31) at 11 am. When contacted Lotha Hoho general secretary Er. Mhondamo Ovung said that the hoho was not against women reservation or civic polls but said Nagaland Municipal Act 2001, which was amended in 2006 should be “reviewed and rewritten” before any civic poll was conducted.
He viewed that mere postponement of polls would not satisfy the Lotha’s neither the Nagas, reiterating that Nagas was not against ULB election.
Ovung further said until the SEC issues formal order to postpone the election, the LHJAC would continue with the bandh.
Meanwhile, a joint team comprising of LH officials, frontal organizations and LHJAC had a meeting on Monday with Lotha Lower Range Public Organization (LLRPO), candidates and public at Bhandari town, where all the candidates except NPF tendered resignations.
According to Ovung, BJP Bhandari unit has handed over the undertaking to the LLPRO president.
Further, the house reiterated that any candidates, who contest ULB polls would be banned from entering Wokha town. In this regard, it entrusted LLRPO to identify the defiant candidates and submit their photographs along with their address and bio data to the Lotha Hoho on or before February 6.