Cong to go alone in 2018 Nagaland Assembly polls: Therie

KOHIMA: Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President K Therie today said the party will contest the 2018 assembly polls in Nagaland alone and will be the real challenger for the ruling Naga People's Front.

"NPCC will be the real challenger for NPF in the 2018 hustings as other parties won't pose any threat. We will be fighting alone," Therie told reporters on the sidelines of a function of the party at Congress Bhavan here.

"We (NPCC) are prepared to face elections any time," he said.

The tenure of the present NPF-led DAN government will end in February 2018.

Commenting on the recently formed Nagaland Congress Party by some of the suspended leaders of NPCC, he asserted the Nagaland PCC is under no threat.

The new breakaway formation would not be able to divide the vote bank of NPCC candidates in the 2018 elections, he claimed, adding all the Assembly Constituency Congress Committee (ACCC) of NPCC is intact.

"None of the ACCCs have gone with suspended leaders, who have formed the new Party," he said.

On the formation of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)by BJP with an aim to unite non-Congress parties of the region, he said "lotus (BJP) will not bloom" in the region.

(Agencies)