The newly-formed Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) on Monday distributed party tickets to 40 of its candidates.
On Sunday evening, NDPP’s ally BJP issued tickets to its 20 candidates to contest the February 27 State Assembly elections.
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Former Nagaland Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir will contest from Ngyetyongpang and Mongoya constituencies on NDPP ticket.
The BJP and the NDPP have a seat-sharing arrangement on 20:40 basis to fight the ensuing elections in the State.
NDPP chief ministerial candidate and Nagaland’s only Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio and party president Chingwang Konyak distributed the tickets to the candidates at the party head office in Chumukedima, 13 km from Dimapur.
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Addressing the candidates and party workers before the ticket distribution, Rio promised to provide a good and stable government if the NDPP in alliance with BJP comes to power in the State.
“We will change the course of Naga history for the better,” he stated.Nagaland polls: Former Nagaland CM Rio formally joins newly-floated NDPP
Rio asked the party candidates to start filing nominations from Tuesday.
The last date of filing of nominations ends on February 7.
He also urged the candidates to explain the policies and programmes of the NDPP to the people while at the same time not to criticise the leaders of the other parties.
Rio informed that the party will release its manifesto within two-three days when everything will be clear.
Three-time Nagaland CM Rio further assured of working for the solution of the Naga political issue while challenging the candidates to come out winners in more than 20 seats.
He said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendar Modi and BJP national president have reposed enough faith on the newly-formed NDPP by having a pre-poll alliance, breaking the 15-year-old alliance with the ruling NPF.
“This itself is a big achievement,” he said and asked his party candidates not to betray the trust.
Rio informed the candidates, the NDPP will arrange a helicopter for 10 days for election campaign.
He also promised to work for the Naga people and for the development of all the 60 constituencies of the State by taking up public welfare progammes, particularly for the welfare of the youths, even where the NDPP and the BJP candidates do not come out winner.
In his words of advice to the party candidates, Rio urged them to remain humbled and go by rules.
Maintaining that the NDPP supports the Naga civil society, tribal hohos and Naga political groups in seeking solution to the Naga issue before election, he, however, said election is a constitutional process which must be followed.
Though there was dissatisfaction in the district units of BJP in Nagaland for forging the pre-poll alliance with the NDPP initially, the party leaders in the State said they would abide by the directive of the party high command.
The BJP candidates also said they would wait for the response of the party national president Amit Shah to their representation, seeking review of the seat-sharing agreement and demanding tickets to as many as 45 aspiring candidates who were confident of winning.