Monday, November 4

Naga Body Maintains Decision to Boycott LS Polls in Nagaland

Kohima: The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), advocating for a separate administration or state comprising six Nagaland districts, remains steadfast in its resolve to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, intensifying its demand.

Following a marathon closed-door coordination meeting involving 20 MLAs and various other organizations in Tuensang, the ENPO leaders reiterated on Friday their decision to abstain from the April 19 parliamentary elections in the state.

An ENPO spokesman affirmed, “At the coordination meeting, we have decided to uphold our February 23 decision to boycott the parliamentary polls in protest against the Centre’s failure to create the separate Frontier Naga Territory.” Notably, Nagaland’s lone Rajya Sabha member S. Phangnon Konyak was present at the meeting.

Despite requests from the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union, comprising 20 MLAs, urging the ENPO to reconsider its stance, the organization remains resolute. The legislators represent assembly constituencies covering the eastern Nagaland region, encompassing the six underdeveloped districts of Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang, home to seven marginalized tribes.