Six parties want deferment of Assembly polls in Nagaland

At a joint meeting at Dimapur, leaders of Nagaland units of Congress, BJP, JD(U), NCP, TMC and RJD yesterday resolved that the Government should give more importance to the on-going political talks between the Centre and the Naga underground groups than the election due in March.

They have sent a joint memorandum to the Prime Minister requesting him to expedite the peace talks to arrive at a conclusion and till that time election be kept in hold, as the people want "a solution and not elections".

The apex tribal council Naga Hoho also told the Election Commission last week that solution to Naga problem should precede the assembly election.

The Joint Legislators Forum, comprising all 60 MLAs, had on July 19 last year resolved to resign for an alternative political arrangement in the event of settlement of the Naga conflict. The legislators, led by the speaker and the chief minister, had visited Delhi in September and informed their resolution to the prime minister.

BJP today staged a dharna here demanding an early settlement to the Naga political problem and resignation of all the 60 MLAs. The party also submitted a memorandum to Governor Nikhil Kumar in this regard.

Nagaland BJP President M Chuba Ao said successive union governments neglected the Naga political problem for the past 60 years and even after the 1997 cease-fire, no tangible solution was in sight in the 15 years of negotiation.

He said the UPA Government continued the divide and rule policy and the Nagas became victims of that policy.