Nagaland: ENPO rejects CM Rio’s appeal for not to boycott Lok Sabha election

The ENPO today sent a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) affirming that it will abstain from participating in the biggest festival of democracy.

A day after Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio earnestly appealed the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) not to boycott the Lok Sabha Election, the pressure group has decided to stick to it’s decision of boycotting the democratic process.

The ENPO today sent a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) affirming that it will abstain from participating in the biggest festival of democracy.

In it’s representation to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, the ENPO said, “We regretfully inform you of the Eastern Nagaland people’s collective decision to abstain from participating in this election.”

Backing it’s decision to boycott the parliamentary election, the ENPO said, that it had decided to go ahead with it’s earlier decision against the alleged failure of the Centre to create a Frontier Nagaland Territory.

The ENPO specifically mentioned in it’s representation that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had “offered and assured” to settle the issue before the announcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha Election 2024, as notified by the ECI.

ATTACH THE ENPO REPRESENTATION HERE:

Yesterday (March 31), the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Eastern Nagaland Legislature’s Union (ENLU) had appealed to the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) to not boycott the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The appeal was made after the meeting of the Nagaland Cabinet and ENLU members that discussed the issue.

The Cabinet and ENLU members after thorough deliberations, unanimously decided to extend a sincere appeal to ENPO urging them not to abstain from the upcoming Lok Sabha Election scheduled for April 19th.

The meet further noted that upon the installation of the new popular Government in the Centre, a conducive atmosphere will be created for further negotiation of ENPO’s demands.

In a Joint Consultative Meeting of the ENPO, Federating Tribal Bodies, Frontal Organizations, Talk Team, and senior leaders held on February 23, 2024, at Chenmoho Village, Mon District, it was unanimously resolved “not to participate in any central and state elections” against the alleged delay by the Centre in settling the offer for the creation of Frontier Nagaland Territory.

The ENPO is stuck to its decision not to participate in the Lok Sabha polls until its demand for a separate state carved out of Nagaland is fulfilled by the Centre.

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