HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Jan 12: An AICC delegation led by senior party observer for Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura Mukul Wasnik held a meeting with Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K Therie and working president Bobby Panicker here on the upcoming assembly elections in Nagaland.
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The meeting mainly deliberated on the probability of elections being announced or imposition of President’s rule in the state.
Sharing his views, Therie said the public mood in the state is not for elections as they want implementation of the agreed political solution to the Naga issue. However, he said, if the ruling BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party go for the polls against the wishes of the people, the state Congress is prepared to fight it all out.
Noting that the CBSE exams will start on February 15, Therie said if the elections are announced, the Election Commission may have to complete the process for the polls before February, leaving hardly 35 days for the election date.
“Irrespective of whether elections are announced or President’s rule is imposed, the Congress has decided to prepare to meet the challenges,” the NPCC chief said.
The meeting also held discussion on forming a Secular Front with like-minded parties for the forthcoming elections in the state.
If it does not materialise, the Congress may have to contest in all the 60 assembly constituencies in the state, Therie added.
The AICC team assured full support to the state Congress in its fight against the BJP and its regional alliance partners in the state if the elections are held.
The meeting further discussed the possibility of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior party leaders – Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor – coming to the state as star campaigners.
Besides Wasnik, the AICC team included party screening committee chairman for Nagaland Mohan Prakash, observers Francisco Sardinha and Dr K Jayakumar, screening committee member Sanjay Dutt and secretary in charge of Nagaland and Sikkim Ranajit Mukherjee.
