Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, SEP 18 (NPN): BJP Dimapur unit has acknowledged the disappointment expressed by its six councillors over their lack of opportunity to function within the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), asserting that the party stands firmly with its elected representatives and has been pursuing the matter with the state and central leadership.
BJP Dimapur president V Shekishe Achumi, reacting to the concerns raised by the councillors, said the party was aware of their disappointment and maintained that the councillors, being elected representatives, should be given an opportunity to serve the people.
He said state BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi had been carrying out his responsibility to seek accommodation for the BJP councillors in the DMC set-up and had taken up the matter with chief minister Neiphiu Rio as well as the central leadership of the party.
He claimed that the state BJP leadership had been trying its best to resolve the issue, adding that BJP Legislature Party (BLP) leader and deputy chief minister Y Patton, along with other BJP legislators, had also taken up the matter with the chief minister.
Shekishe, however, maintained that the difficulty lay with the authority currently in charge of the arrangement, alleging that the BJP councillors were not being given an opportunity despite repeated efforts by the party.
“It should be understood that the blame should be directed towards the authority who is seated in the corridors of power in the state,” he said.
He stressed that the BJP councillors were also elected representatives of the people and should therefore be provided an opportunity to discharge their responsibilities.
He also alleged that the NPF, as an alliance partner, was deliberately not giving the BJP councillors an opportunity to function within the DMC and said the matter should be viewed in the context of the alliance arrangement. He urged the NPF leadership to look into the issue.
Shekishe further claimed that he had been informed that the chief minister himself had given an assurance regarding the matter, but alleged that the assurance had remained in “cold storage”.
Meanwhile, he clarified that the issue had not affected the relationship between BJP party workers and its leadership.
“All party workers and BJP are very much happy and satisfied with BLP leader and State president’s leadership,” he said.
He also pointed out that the issue was not confined to the DMC alone, noting that similar concerns existed in the Chümoukedima Town Council (CTC).
Shekishe said BJP councillors should be accommodated in both the DMC and CTC in order to fulfil the spirit of the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) arrangement in the state.
He said the BJP was not seeking anything beyond an opportunity for its elected representatives to serve the people who had elected them.