The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has rejected allegations by NPCC president and Lok Sabha MP, S Supongmeren Jamir that the NPF was “poaching” elected members of Town and Municipal Councils, asserting that councillors who joined or extended support to the party had done so voluntarily.
The NPF, in a statement, said it had “never poached any elected member” and maintained that elected representatives had the democratic right to make their own political choices. It challenged the Congress to place before the appropriate authority any evidence of coercion, inducement or unlawful acts rather than making allegations in the media.
The party also rejected the allegation that councillors had joined the NPF for monetary benefits or promises of projects, saying such claims undermined the integrity and independent decision-making of elected grassroots representatives.
The NPF accused the Congress of having lost public support in Nagaland for more than two decades and said the NPCC leadership should introspect over what it described as the loss of confidence among its grassroots members. These were political assertions made by the NPF in its statement.
The party said it remained committed to inclusive development and empowering Town and Municipal Councils to serve people without discrimination, while maintaining stability and unity.
On the Naga political issue, the NPF welcomed the reported appointment of retired IPS officer and former Joint Intelligence Committee chairman Ajit Lal as the new interlocutor for the Indo-Naga political talks. The appointment was reported on September 24–25, while the NSCN (IM) also welcomed the development.
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The NPF said the reported appointment should be viewed in the context of a September 12, 2024 resolution adopted at a meeting attended by Naga civil society organisations, churches and elected members, including the two MPs, which called for the ongoing dialogue to be elevated to the political or ministerial level.
The party criticised Supongmeren for describing the appointment of a new interlocutor as a “disgrace”, arguing that the MP himself had been a signatory to the 2024 resolution that sought an interlocutor of political or ministerial level with the confidence and mandate of the Government of India.
The NPF said renewed engagement at the political level could contribute to the long-standing Naga political dialogue and expressed hope that the new interlocutor would engage all Naga political groups and stakeholders with sensitivity to the historical and political complexities of the issue.
It said the objective of all stakeholders should be to facilitate a peaceful, honourable, inclusive and enduring political settlement, and called upon political parties to exercise restraint and responsibility in their public statements.
The NPF said political differences should not overshadow what it described as the larger aspirations and interests of the Naga people, and urged all stakeholders to contribute towards an environment conducive to peace, reconciliation and development in Nagaland.
