KOHIMA, Sept 18: Naga People’s Front (NPF) secretary general and MLA Achumbemo Kikon on Thursday criticised former party MP from Outer Manipur, Lorho S. Pfoze, accusing him of repeatedly embarrassing the party during his tenure.
Speaking to reporters here, Kikon said while he initially preferred not to comment on Pfoze’s decision to join the National People’s Party (NPP), his record as an NPF parliamentarian had left a trail of controversies.
“He was given a ticket to contest and with the party’s effort, he won. But you don’t know how much embarrassment he has caused us,” Kikon claimed.
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He cited allegations levelled against Pfoze by BJP leader Chuba Ao, which were widely reported in the media, and recalled that Pfoze was disqualified during his term as MP for allegedly filing a false affidavit, although later reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Kikon further alleged that Pfoze was “not very cooperative” on certain issues, adding that the party had even considered taking stringent measures against him but refrained out of respect.
“Now, he has resigned and gone looking for a greener pasture. Where should we comment further?” he remarked.
In a statement, the NPF strongly refuted Pfoze’s claim that the party is “highly exclusive” with “no room for members from other communities,” calling the remark factually incorrect, misleading, and unfortunate.
The NPF said it had nominated Pfoze as its official candidate for the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency in 2019, despite him being relatively unknown, and invested resources and manpower to secure his victory with a margin of about 80,000 votes.
The party maintained that it enjoys broad support across Naga, Kuki-Zomi, Meitei, and Muslim constituencies, citing past representation of Kuki leaders in its Manipur state unit divisions and significant support from non-Naga voters in both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Terming Pfoze’s statement as “immature and divisive,” the NPF reaffirmed its commitment to remain an inclusive platform for all communities in Manipur to work collectively for peace and development. (PTI)
