NPF will fight 2023 polls alone; will work for unity among NPGs: Shürho

NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu informed that the party will be fighting the forthcoming assembly election in 2023 on its own and spoke about the need to bring all Naga political groups– NSCN (I-M) and the 7-member WC,NNPGs– together under a common front on the Naga peace talks, as the Centre may not continue separate talks with them.
Liezietsu was replying to queries from media persons at Pfutseromi village under Phek district Wednesday. Liezietsue said NPF will go it alone in the forthcoming state election, due early 2023 though the party is an alliance partner of the all party-United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government.
UDA was formed in July 2021 after NPF joined the PDA government with the objective of acting as facilitator to pursue early solution to the Naga political issue. Liezietsu said : “The NPF MLAs are working together with the all party government but that does not mean the parties have come together … We still keep our entity. The NPF will contest the next state elections alone but if other political parties want to join us, we will welcome them.”
The NPF has 25 MLAs in the current house. Seven of its legislators were earlier suspended from the party for supporting the ruling NDPP candidate in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but their suspension was recently revoked.
On the other hand, the NDPP has 21 legislators, BJP 12 and Independents two the 60-member house.
NDPP and BJP have already decided to continue with their pre-poll alliance forged in 2018 on a seat sharing formula of 40 (NDPP) and 20 (BJP). Senior BJP party sources also informed that the alliance (NDPP/BJP) would continue, as it was made clear by the Central leadership.
Talking about the Naga political issue, Dr. Lieziestu said that the government of India would never agree to a “piecemeal” or “separate settlement” for different groups over the same issue.
He said the two Naga political groups ought to come to an understanding and “we (political parties) are appealing them to come together because the Government of India will never have piecemeal or separate settlements”.
“Our main job now is to bring together the two conflicting groups to form a common front otherwise the Indian government may not continue to have separate talks for a final solution to the Naga political issue,” Liezietsu said.