Will not participate in upcoming LS polls: Nagaland's ENPO writes to EC

The ENPO, which has been demanding a separate state carved out of Nagaland, has written to the Election Commission of India, stating that it will abstain from the upcoming Lok Sabha poll process.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India through the chief electoral officer of the northeastern state, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of seven Naga tribes of the region, said its members have collectively decided not to take part in the ensuing parliamentary polls.

"The people of eastern Nagaland under the aegis of ENPO had on March 19, 2024 reaffirmed its commitment to the Chenmoho Resolution, wherein it was further reaffirmed and resolved not to participate in any central and state elections against the failure to settle the creation of frontier Nagaland territory (FNT) as offered and assured by the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 7, 2023 to be settled before the announcement of Model Code of Conduct to the Lok Sabha 2024 by the ECI," the ENPO letter said.

Emphasising that the decision is "not intended as an act of defiance against the electoral machinery or the principles of democracy", the ENPO said it is "rather a principled stance taken within the framework of the Constitution of India" and is aimed at drawing attention to the legitimate grievances and aspirations of the people of eastern Nagaland.

The ENPO has been demanding a separate state since 2010, claiming that the six districts in the eastern part of Nagaland have been neglected for years.

"We remain hopeful that the Government of India will heed our concerns and take concrete steps towards addressing the longstanding issue of the frontier Nagaland territory," the organisation said on Monday.

Polls to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland will be held on April 19.

The Nagaland Cabinet and legislators of the eastern region of the state have recently appealed to the ENPO to take part in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.