4 NPP councillors joined NPF in recent days: James Sangma
Shillong, July 18: The National People’s Party (NPP) has accused the Naga People’s Front (NPF) of forcing elected NPP representatives to switch sides to the ruling party of Nagaland.
NPP national working president James K Sangma, in a statement, mentioned two NPP Municipal Councillors from Kohima joining the NPF and said this was the second such incident in recent times.
Two NPP councillors from Dimapur had earlier switched sides to the NPF.
The back-to-back defections point to “a deliberate pattern” instead of routine political movement, Sangma said.
He also claimed to have received reports that councillors were pressured with threats that access to development funds and government schemes would be cut off if they did not join the ruling party.
“If true, this amounts to misuse of political power,” he said.
However, he said, the NPP has always maintained cordial ties with the NPF and other regional and national parties.
The party called it “unfortunate” that a partner party was being targeted instead of allowing fair democratic competition.
Moving forward, the NPP said it will review the situation in Nagaland and take organisational steps to strengthen its base.
The party stressed the need to build a stronger cadre and grassroots leadership “that cannot be shaken by defections.”
The NPP expressed confidence that voters in Nagaland want politics centered on credibility and accountability, not on defections.
“We assure our workers and supporters that the NPP will come out stronger from this and will keep working to offer the people of Nagaland a credible political alternative,” the statement said.
