State deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton has said that ENPO abstaining from the election would have no impact on the ensuing parliamentary elections.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the PDA election campaign programme at Wokha, Patton said that Dr. Chumben Murry would win with a thumping “even if the entire ENPO region” did not cast their votes. He pointed that out of a total of more than 13 lakh electorates in the state, there were about 3 lakh voters in the Eastern Nagaland region which comprises of six districts.
With regard to the ENPO’s decision to boycott the poll, he said that such a move was “totally wrong”. He pointed out that the state government and even the chief minister had made several appeals to the ENPO to reconsider their decision.
Despite numerous invitations extended by the chief minister, he said that the ENPO had refused to meet with the state government. On Thursday, the state government held a meeting with officers of the Eastern region and directed officers from the region to urge the ENPO to reconsider boycotting the election. “It is up to them to decide. Our government machinery will exercise, and we will go to the respective polling stations,” Patton said.
With the announcement of the elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), Patton said that the ENPO issue cannot be discussed with the central leaders. The matter, he said, can only be discussed once a popular government was formed. He said the discussions between the Centre and the ENPO were not disclosed till the time the state government met with the union home minister in Delhi.
Patton said the union minister then assured that without the consultation and confidence of the Nagaland state government nothing would be finalised.
Responding to a query on the other independent candidate from the community contesting in the ensuing Lok Sabha election in the state, Patton said people should not think that there are two Lotha candidates but only one, who is Dr Chumben Murry.
He said Hayithung Bill Lotha, who was also like his nephew, had contested against him in the past and out of 3667 votes in his constituency, Hayithung could only secure 1 vote. “No one knows who Hayithung Bill is and therefore Nagas should not be confused with him,” he said.
Sharing his observation on the Congress candidate, Patton said PM Modi had visited the Northeast region 72 times in 10 years and in contrast, former PM Manmohan Singh, who got elected from Assam did not even visit Nagaland in his two terms as the PM.
Claiming that Congress party in the last 15 years had not produced even one MLA in Nagaland, he said there was no question that Congress would ever win.
He also informed that informed that recruitment of constables in the home department will take place after the Lok Sabha elections most likely to be conducted by July and August.
He said the recruitment will be undertaken for seven uniformed departments. He added that the recruitment would be conducted across all district headquarters simultaneously.