Having ensured RS berth for Phangnon, BJP wants one female MLA at least

 "It was 'Nagaland Page' of Dimapur that first broke the news that my name was recommended to the high command for party ticket. I did not lobby for it," - Phangnon Konyak 

  Having ensured RS berth for Phangnon, BJP wants one female MLA at least

  New Delhi

  The fate of Nagaland elections could be linked to the pending peace talks but the BJP

   is determined to ensure at least one female legislator in the next Assembly.

   BJP sources said here that this has become imperative as the saffron party has

   ensured berth for Phangnon Konyak, its women wing chief in Nagaland, into the Upper

   House of Parliament.

   "Necessary steps are being taken and we may soon zero down on one or two

   districts and few assembly segments. The BJP wants certainly one

woman legislator in the new House when elections will be held early next year," a source said.

   The saffron party leaders were appreciative of the fact that the newly elected MP  Ms Konyak has taken her job seriously and on the second day of her parliamentary career itself she made use of the Question Hour and asked a supplementary question related to  Angan Wadi workers and the

Budget.

    Phangnon Konyak also sat through the evening session and declined to move out before the day's proceedings ended.

    In fact, she had to attend an informal meeting with journalists at the Foreign Correspondents' Club but she was late as the session continued late in the evening.

During interaction a senior scribe told her that she is starting her parliamentary career with immense goodwill in the national capital as "journalists normally do not wait for one and half hour for
politicians".

   "Last time I waited for a politician for one and half hour was for Atal Bihari Vajpayee's rally," the senior journalist said amid applause by those present while Phangnon looking shy bowed her head
with folded hands in humility.

   As the interaction was informal, most of what she said fielding

questions from journalists could not be reported.

   However, at the start of the interaction, she informed the

gathering that "It was 'Nagaland Page'  of Dimapur that first broke

the news that her name was recommended

 to the high command for party ticket".

  "I did not lobby for it and for sometime I did not expect it

either," Ms Konyak said.

  During interaction, she of course answered questions ranging from

application of AFSPA in Nagaland to issues such as 'Hindutva' politics

of the BJP as was alleged by Nagaland Congress chief K Therie.

  "I am ready to answer the Congress leaders in Nagaland, they have no

issue other than religion....I am not afraid of hard work," she told

the gathering.

  ends