Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee President K Therie.
File image of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee President K Therie.

In Nagaland, the Congress party is on resurgence after getting all like-minded secular parties on board to defeat the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP combine candidate in the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state.

Nagaland PCC on Friday said in a statement that the speech of Congress president Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday resonated through the length and breadth of Nagaland.

He had clearly spelt out his mind to sincerely address the concerns of Nagas on a host of issues, particularly the Indo-Naga political issue, it said.

The party appealed to all sections of the society to support and vote for the Congress candidate in the state.

According to the PCC, the mood of the nation is for change and the BJP is on its way out as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s so-called “Modi wave” only brought disappointment and created hatred in the nation during the past five years.

In another development, the Pradesh Congress welcomed former National People’s Party (NPP) leaders and officials led by former deputy speaker Levi Rengma, ex-candidates Hopson Snock and K Mangyangpula Chang and former party state Congress vice president GK Rengma into the Congress fold.

“In the most crucial time when secularism and our culture, customs and identity, are under threat, they have taken a conscious decision to strengthen and fight against the monstrous designs of BJP not for power or money, but to defend our people and to carry forward the Naga political negotiations for early settlement,” NPCC president K Therie said on Friday.

The NPCC said it appreciated their deep concern to “salvage” Nagaland and assured to work together with responsibilities to strengthen the secular forces.

The PCC expressed sincere and heartfelt thanks to the people of Nagaland, particularly from Dimapur, for attending Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s public rally here in large numbers.

The PCC also expressed gratitude to NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his colleagues for allowing their party legislators to share the stage with the Congress president and the NPF party workers who turned up in large numbers for the rally, NPCC communication department said.

It expressed deepest appreciation to leader of opposition TR Zeliang and Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye for their solidarity speeches in the rally in support of INC candidate KL Chishi.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]