NPP to contest Mizoram polls in November, will decide on seats soon

The National People's Party (NPP) on Monday announced it would contest the elections to the 40-member Mizoram legislative assembly scheduled to be held on November 28.

The NPP has received 25 applications seeking party tickets. These are being scrutinised by the leadership, party convener Lianzuala told reporters.

The number of seats the party would contest as well as the names of the nominees would be announced soon, he said.

General secretary from Nagaland and the party's national observer for the Mizoram polls, Sasank Ghatraj, said though the NPP is a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), it has its own identity.

"NEDA is not a political party, but a forum or a platform for non-Congress political parties in the region," Ghatraj said, adding that the party is part of the coalition governments in Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya, and so is the BJP.

NPP national secretary and co-convener of the party in Mizoram, Lalrina, said there has been no pre-poll or post-poll alliance anywhere in the northeast and also in Mizoram.

He said the main objective of the party was for significant representation of northeast tribals in Delhi.

"We hope that we would be the voice and representative of the northeast in the national capital," Lalrina said.

The NPP was launched in Mizoram by its president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on September 29.

The party was founded in 2013 by veteran parliamentarian P A Sangma following his ouster from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

On Sunday, Conrad Sangma had said that the party is likely to play a major role in Mizoram polls.