Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has launched a statewide public consultation initiative titled “People’s Voice Questionnaire” aimed at gathering the opinions, aspirations, and concerns of citizens to help formulate a people-centric vision for Nagaland ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.

Member of Parliament, Supongmeren Jamir said that the Congress party is turning directly to the people of Nagaland for guidance as it prepares its roadmap for the 2028 Assembly elections, acknowledging the party’s past failures while expressing its commitment to rebuilding public trust.

Jamir noted that the Congress has remained in Opposition since 2003 and has not had representation in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly since 2015.

“Congress candidates have been going to the people, but they were not elected and were not given a mandate. We have to accept our weaknesses when we lose elections,” he said.

Jamir emphasized that while Congress recognizes its shortcomings, the party wants to understand from grassroots voters why it has been unable to secure electoral success and what changes people expect from the party.

He pointed out that unemployment remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Nagaland’s youth. While acknowledging the limitations of the government in creating jobs, he said opportunities for self-employment also remain inadequate.

“There is corruption, but unless grassroots voters express their views on why corruption persists, why employment opportunities are lacking, or why Congress has been losing elections, governments will not be able to formulate policies that truly address the aspirations of the people,” he stated.

According to Jamir, the questionnaire initiative is intended to bridge the communication gap between political parties and the electorate.

“Every political party contests elections with ideas and principles, but unless those ideas match the aspirations of the people, there will always be a communication gap. We do not want that gap to continue,” he said.

The MP said the Congress is seeking feedback from all sections of society, including young people, intellectuals, professionals and community leaders, to better understand the changing aspirations of Nagaland’s citizens.

Describing the exercise as a roadmap for the party’s future, Jamir said the responses would help shape Congress policies, election strategies and even the selection of future candidates.

“We are not only expecting positive feedback. We also want negative feedback, which we can take positively and learn from. If there are shortcomings in our policies, leadership, resources or election strategies, we want to know about them so that we can improve,” he said.

Jamir stressed that future Congress candidates should emerge from the wishes and aspirations of grassroots voters rather than being imposed from the top.

“It will not be dictated from above. The candidates we send in future should reflect the choice and expectations of the people,” he added.

Appealing to the media and the public to support the initiative, Jamir said the questionnaire is not merely for the Congress party but represents an opportunity for the people of Nagaland to make their voices heard.

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Condemns Manipur Incident

Commenting on the recent incident in Manipur involving the killing of civilians, Jamir described it as a grave violation of humanity and human rights.

“This is a very serious matter. It is against humanity and human rights, and whoever is involved must be condemned,” he said.

He urged both the Manipur government and the Central Government to take stronger and more proactive measures to prevent further escalation of tensions.

“The authorities must adopt precautionary measures and act vigorously to control the situation. If tensions rise in one state of the Northeast, it affects the entire region. Problems in one state cannot be ignored because they can have consequences for other Northeastern states as well,” Jamir cautioned.

He called for coordinated efforts to maintain peace and stability across the Northeast, stressing that the safety and security of all communities must remain a priority.

NPCC Working President, Khriedi Theunuo said the Congress party has introduced a questionnaire booklet seeking valuable feedback from the people to guide its future policies and programmes.

“The feedback will help us in policy-making and enable us to better understand the aspirations, concerns, and priorities of the people. Congress policies and programmes have always been focused on the welfare of the people,” Theunuo said.

He stated that the party intends to engage directly with citizens before the 2028 elections to understand what they expect from the Congress Party and how it can address the issues facing the state.

As part of the exercise, the NPCC has already distributed the questionnaire booklets to district Congress committees (DCCs) and constituencies across Nagaland. The party plans to reach people from all sections of society, including church leaders, social activists, village leaders, community representatives, and other stakeholders.

“We want people from every walk of life to share their views and opinions. Their responses will help the Congress Party prepare strongly for the 2028 elections. A strong democracy begins when people speak honestly,” Theunuo remarked.

The questionnaire includes a range of issues concerning governance and public policy. Among the questions are: What do you think are the biggest issues facing Nagaland today? How satisfied are you with the present leadership in Nagaland? What is the biggest failure of the present government? Do you think liquor prohibition should be lifted or enforced?

The NPCC clarified that respondents are not required to disclose their names, as providing personal details is optional.

According to Theunuo, the party has set the end of June as the target period for collecting responses. Once the feedback is compiled and analyzed, the Congress plans to publish its observations and use the findings to develop a roadmap for the 2028 elections.

“At this stage, we are gathering the people’s response. Many citizens are willing to contribute their views and opinions because they feel Congress should be given an opportunity to govern,” he said.

Theunuo also informed that the first phase of the initiative has seen the printing of approximately 1,000 questionnaire booklets. Due to growing demand, the party is prepared to print additional copies. Alongside the physical booklets, an online Google form has also been created to enable wider participation.

“Demands are coming in, and we may have to print more copies,” he added.

The initiative marks one of the NPCC’s early efforts to engage directly with voters and build its agenda based on public feedback as preparations for the 2028 Assembly elections gather momentum.