The Congress has decided not to contest the by-poll to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland.
In a release on Wednesday evening, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) said the NPF has announced its candidate after having agreed in principle to its proposal for setting up combined opposition candidate to uphold the principles of secularism and democracy.
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However, the release said since Congress cannot support any political party that is aligned with the BJP in one way or the other, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Executive Committee will meet shortly to review the situation and issue necessary directives to party workers at all levels on the next course of action.
Meanwhile, Ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) and Opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Wednesday distributed tickets to their respective candidates to contest the by-election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland.
The last date for filing of nominations for the by-election slated for May 28 ends on Thursday. The process of filing nominations began on May 3.
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The PDA issued ticket to its consensus candidate and former minister Tokheho Yepthomi at Kohima region office of its major partner Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) while NPF issued the party ticket to former Rajya Sabha member and parliamentary secretary Tourism C Apok Jamir at its central office in Kohima.
The JD(U) in a press release said it will contest the election with the same manifesto that was released during the recently concluded Assembly election to the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly. The party emerged winner in one seat in the last Assembly election.
The lone Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after incumbent Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio resigned in February to contest the State Assembly election on NDPP ticket. Rio won the seat in 2014 Lok Sabha election on NPF ticket.