Naga BJP leaders write to Shah against pre-poll alliance

Kohima: The BJP leaders of Nagaland have written to party chief Amit Shah, expressing their resentment against the saffron party’s pre-poll alliance with the newly floated Nationalist Democratic People’s Party for the February 27 Assembly election in the state.

The letter was sent to Shah on Saturday night, soon after the agreement between the two parties was signed in Delhi. The announcement of the tie-up was made on Sunday. Signed by Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu and general secretary Eduzu Theluo among others, the letter said the alliance had “no roots at the grassroot level”.

It was agreed upon that in the 60-member Assembly, the BJP would contest in 20 seats and the NDPP in 40 seats. The state leaders said that this arrangement was not justified as it was the NDPP that approached the BJP.

“The Nagaland BJP has about 45 potential intending candidates seeking party tickets,” the letter said, adding that the prospects of the saffron party were gaining momentum in the north-eastern state with every passing day.

“We are confident of achieving a resounding success across the state, much better than the NDPP… In this context, it is very likely that if the seat-sharing agreement is taken up officially, it will have a highly negative impact on the current status of the party in Nagaland,” it said.

Moreover, the supporters of the hopeful BJP candidates might withdraw their allegiance if only 20 seats were allotted to the saffron party, the leaders said. It also expressed confidence that if it fought the polls on its own, there was more scope for the legislators of other parties to join an alliance with it.

“Taking this into consideration, the Nagaland BJP cannot accept a pre-poll alliance with any party. “We have, therefore, decided to fight the upcoming Assembly election without any pre-poll alliance and may opt for a post-poll alliance, based on necessity. This decision has been taken after thorough discussions and in consultation with the district units and morchas of the party,” the letter said.

Sources in the Nagaland BJP said similar letters would be submitted to the central leadership by the presidents of the 11 district units of the party and its frontal organisations in the north-eastern state.