Assembly elections will be held in Nagaland on April 16.
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO), which has been demanding a separate administration or state comprising six districts of Nagaland, has remained adamant on its decision not to contest elections for the sole Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland until the Center had met her demand.
After holding a marathon behind-the-scenes coordination meeting with 20 MLAs and several other organizations in Tuensang on Thursday, ENPO leaders on Friday again announced their boycott of the April 19 assembly elections in the state.
The Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union, comprising 20 MLAs, had earlier asked the ENPO to reconsider its decision.
The ‘public emergency’, which began in eastern Nagaland on March 8, would continue.
During the ‘public emergency’, the ENPO, the apex body of seven Naga tribes in the region, and its frontal organizations are not allowing any election campaign.
The ENPO, the highest Naga body in the six districts, and its associated organisations, in support of its separate statehood demand, made a call to boycott last year’s (February 27) elections but later withdrew it after an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit. Shah.
The Union Home Ministry, in response to ENPO’s demand, last year formed a three-member committee, headed by Northeast Advisor AK Mishra, to study their demand. The panel visited Nagaland several times and spoke to all parties.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio recently said that the state government has already recommended to the Center to set up an autonomous region for the people belonging to the eastern region.