With the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) imposing indefinite bandh over its jurisdiction and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) serving them with Show-cause notice, Rio remarked that what the civil societies have been doing is upto them and yet he stated that the Government of Nagaland is having a thorough discussion and there should be a peaceful polling all over the state including ENPO area.

Responding to a query, whether he will take any action against the Legislators from the Eastern Nagaland for not taking part in the election, he said the ENPO has given an order in a very strict manner particularly mentioning the Eastern Nagaland Legislators so they would not want confrontation he added, “So let us see what will happen”.

Asked, if the action of ENPO would affect the negotiations for the demand of FNT, the Chief Minister stated that the ENPO know what best they are doing but as the state government and as Government of India would also take certain action while pointing out that the Election Commission had served them (ENPO) show cause notice and to others who are trying to prevent voting as it is the right of every citizens to caste vote in participating in the election process in the democracy.

With ENPO blaming the state government that the draft was handed over to the Chief Minister in the month of December, Rio expressed his reservation saying he doesn’t want to comment on that however, stated that it was handed over to him by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah which is a draft, a working paper.

Commenting on the draft he said, “Everything things look okay but the power sharing between the elected members of Eastern Nagaland and the proposed FNT, so you are aware that in my earlier public address and others that the state government has no problem because we have already recommended for an autonomous body, so that they get sufficient economic packages to come at par with the rest of the state. That’s why we say that 20 MLAs of Eastern Nagaland and ENPO should sit across the table for sharing of power and in that we will discuss earlier, but when autonomous body is created and when the elected members are there then they have to assisted, so the state government have nothing to do with that but the MLAs and ENPO should sit across the table to work out a formula for power sharing. Which they could not do and refuse to accept or study on that paper and that’s why they may blame us. We (State government) have no comment, only when this thing are over then we will have a threadbare discussion.”