GUWAHATI: To keep the BJP out of power, the Congress in election-bound Nagaland has called for the formation of a grand alliance of "like-minded secular parties".
The Congress does not have a single MLA in the hill state which will go to elections early next year.
The BJP and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) are two key components of the state's coalition government which also has the regional Naga People's Front. NDPP and BJP have already reached an understanding to contest 40 and 20 seats respectively. The state has altogether 60 seats.
State Congress chief K Therie said all secular forces should fight together and "remove" the BJP, not just from Nagaland but all over.
"Regional parties are dominating in many states. We want all like-minded political parties to come together and remove the BJP from across the states. We will soon start reaching out to them," the Nagaland Congress chief said.
He slammed the BJP for its alleged religion-based politics.
"But they have done nothing even for the Hindus and are provoking Christians, Muslims, minorities and all secular-minded people. There are so many Hindus who consider secular idea as a nation," the former minister said.
He insisted that BJP should be ousted for peace and harmony. He said the priority for the Congress vis-à-vis elections would be to explore the possibility of the grand alliance.
"We won't have any dearth of candidates but first, we will focus on forming the alliance of like-minded secular parties," Therie said on the Congress' poll preparation.
He claimed not only the NDPP-BJP relationship strained, the BJP’s plan to contest in the 20 seats was also impacting the NDPP.
CM fishing in troubled waters
Therie slammed Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for "betraying" the people of Nagaland on the "Naga political issue".
"The peace talks have already completed. The governor had made a statement in this regard. The interlocutor also said so. But Rio does not want a solution. His inner mind is to fish in troubled waters," the Congress leader said.
"We want that (Nagaland-specific) solution to be implemented. But Rio is saying the solution has to be also acceptable to (NSCN-IM leader) Thuingaleng Muivah. Rio is not standing for the Nagas of Nagaland anymore. He ought to be speaking for Nagaland because as the CM, he represents the people of Nagaland, not Manipur or Arunachal. He has betrayed the people of Nagaland," Therie said.