In 'Congress-mukt' Nagaland, Supongmeren as grand old party nominee for LS polls is hardly a challenger

New Delhi

Who is more lucky, Chumben Murry or the NDPP ?  

Firstly, it ought to be stated that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio deserves some credit.

He ought to be complimented for ensuring a Congress-free Nagaland. It's no mean achievement by an ex-Congressman and in a state where the grand old party ruled supreme for decades.

That could be an old story.

Now, in 2024, the winds of change are blowing; but are they ?

The Congress party announced 39 candidates in the first list and as expected most are from the 'comfortable zone' vis-a-vis the state of Kerala. Rahul Gandhi himself will be contesting from Wayanad. 

'Nagaland Page' Link

But the party's list also brings into light 'weak-links and fault-lines'.

Reports say several key leaders have decided to stay away from the contest.

The party claimed 60 names were cleared on the first day of CEC sitting on March 7; but only 39 names were announced. Importantly, Rahul Gandhi - who has all the veto power - could not attend the meeting virtually as he was too busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

True, the 'unity' of India as a nation certainly deserves more attention than the political machinations of an election panel. 

Nevertheless, among them was also a seat like Nagaland -- where the grand old party is putting up a candidate perhaps in a reluctant manner. While former Chief Minister K L Chishi put up a stiff fight in 2019 polls against Tokheho Yepthomi, this year the senior leader has decided to stay away from the contest. 

The AICC finally agreed to field state unit president Supongmeren Jamir, a former legislator, but considered a lightweight nominee against NDPP-BJP combine's nominee.

Essentially, in Nagaland, the fight will be symbolic. So for Rahul Gandhi and his I.N.D.I alliance bloc, out of 39 -- one seat is lost !

In the 2018 and 2023 assembly polls, the Congress could not field (total) 60 candidates and when the results came in -- the grand old party had zero score in two state assembly polls in the state where it once dominated the scene. 

It's already Congress-mukt Nagaland !! However, Chishi had put up a formidable fight in the 2019 polls bagging 48.11 percent of votes as against 49.73 by Tokheho. 

And Tokheho's victory margin was 16,344 only.

But the Congress due to a plethora of reasons including infighting could not carry on the tempo.  In 2023 assembly polls, the Congress polled a modest 3.56 percent of votes from the 23 candidates it fielded. Supongmeren Jamir for his part, lost the Mongoya seat to Imkongmar of NDPP by a margin of 1042 votes.

The NDPP has already announced the candidature of  Dr Chumben Murry as candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat. Murry was reportedly assured by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio earlier that he would be given Lok Sabha ticket. Hence Rio and also the NDPP leadership must be congratulated for keeping their words. This art is a vanishing trend in Indian politics.

Now, who gains in the entire bargain ? Nagaland voters are silent.

Silence can be a complicity. 

Elsewhere in India, people mostly vote on party lines and where 'party politics' is too weak; they vote in the name of caste and religion. Hence, so much hype around the Ram temple. 

But what will decide Murry's electoral journey -- the choice will be his and his party's. People in Nagaland love election perhaps more than the other features of democracy. 

There is some seasonal cash flow. The politicians need not learn any lesson. They thrive with their ignorance and chaos in the society and approach to value-less politics.

As a media person. I often lament that Journalism is at the mercy of the marketplace. Politics too is often at the mercy of some elements. 

Therefore, the faceless voters will also have to learn lessons from history and from the ‘de facto’ money games. 

ends