BJP spurns LJP(RV)’s offers

BJP national spokesperson and in-charge of Nagaland, Nalin Kohli has outrightly rejected claims made by Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Nagaland that the party will be the “king maker” and play a crucial and vital role in government formation after the 2023 elections.
Talking to Nagaland Post, Kohli said any political party was entitled to claim what they want.
He however, made it clear that the NDPP-BJP alliance, with the people’s mandate, will be forming the next government with absolute majority.
In view of this Kohli said there was no scope for anyone to “dream of becoming a king maker, queen maker, prince maker of any kind of maker”
Kohli further maintained that as both NDPP and BJP are fighting together under 40:20 seat sharing formula in all 60 seats, voters should not be confused with such statements or claims made by LJP(RV), NCP or any other party that they were “indirectly supporting BJP in Nagaland”.
With NDPP-BJP alliance, under 40:20 seat sharing formula respectively, fighting all 60 assembly seats, the BJP spokesperson appealed to the voters not to be confused by the statements and claims made by LJP (RV), NCP or any other party that they were directly or indirectly supporting the BJP in Nagaland.
He also reminded that the issue was also made clear by union home minister, Amit Shah, BJP national presidentJP Nadda and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on several occasions during their election campaigns.
On reports that the LJP (RV) party had strategically pitted its candidates against most of the NDPP candidates, Kohli said there were similar issues raised by some section that the NCP had also fielded candidates in some constituencies against BJP candidates.
Clearing the air on this, Kohli asserted that “There is no formal, there is no informal, and there is no understanding with either of these parties.”
He further reiterated that such political parties have only come to the state as political tourists and that they have no long-term stake in the state
“They only came at the time of election, and they will leave after the elections,” he said, while also reminding that these parties were not even fighting 30 seats, which was an “admission of defeat” even from the beginning.
On LJP’s recent statement, requesting its party workers, well-wishers, supporters and sympathizers to pledge their support in constituencies wherever BJP candidates were contesting, Kohli said they were free to issue any statement.
He, however, clarified that BJP had never asked them to issue such statements.
“We don’t want them to make any such statement, but we can’t prevent somebody writing something on their own letterhead”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Kohli was confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint campaign for the BJP-NDPP alliance was the high point and the impact would spread across the State.
On the issue between Kohima Press Club and the BJP media convenor, Kohli said that though he was busy with the campaigns, he had responded to the media at a rally in Wokha and was informed that the issue was resolved after his colleague had spoken to KPC.
He also said that an apology message was sent to KPC by his colleague. Kohli also said that a formal letter would be sent to KPC president. “We stand for freedom of press and we deeply respect media in Nagaland and it is not our intention in any way to condone any such kind of issue between a media person and my colleague in the party,” he stated.
He further said that it was not for him to negotiate or interfere in the personal relationship between two people and said that any institution, be it the BJP or any other, should not intervene and try to negotiate a personal relationship between two people.