Shillong, March 16: The United Democratic Party has officially launched its election campaign for Shillong seat in the presence Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. Rio is the convener of the newly formed North East Regional Political Front floated by as many as 10 regional parties including the UDP end of last year in Guwahati.
The UDP has decided to field its working president Paul Lyngdoh to contest the Shillong Lok Sabha seat.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has demanded that the Central Government should have had launched Job Security Bills instead of passing the much publicized Food Security Bill.
Addressing a gathering during the meeting of United Democratic Party here on Saturday, Neiphiu Rio said that the food security Bill would spoil the country.
Lambasting the Union Government over its failure to implement to various schemes and legislations, he said that the Congress led Union Government came out with Right To Education (RTE) after fifty years of independence.
Stating that many youths from the North East visit the mainland India for jobs and studies, he said that there is only one way traffic since people from mainland India do not prefer to visit North East due to lack of job opportunities and other issues.
According to Rio, there are hundreds of legislations in the country that has been passed by the Government but such legislations are implemented only in papers and not on ground.
He also stressed that the North East region needs to be united and fight together for various North Eastern state issues even as he expressed concern over the ongoing cases of racism in the mainland India against North Eastern people.
He also expressed confidence that the Congress Governments days are few in Delhi and very soon a new Government would be formed in the country.
The meeting of the UDP was attended by senior party leaders including the UDP candidate Paul Lyngdoh besides the party workers and supporters.
Later addressing media person, Rio informed that on the 23rd March, the regional parties of Northeast will meet again in Guwahati and discuss about strategies for the elections. “In this common platform specific problems will also be discussed. We understand how Assam has to play a big brother part being the mother of all NE states.ࠗ
We should understand that we should be together to survive. North east has always been referred as one identity and that also tells us that, we must come together with a platform to address the common issues,” he said, referring to the
North East Regional Parties Forum floated last year in October. Rio is the convenor of the forum.
Pointed to the fact that the BJP and AGP did not ally this time in Assam, he said, “Although AGP and BJP could not work out a seat sharing formula but still we have to talk to the BJP high command to at least have some level of understanding so that Congress don’;t take advantage.”
On the allegations of the BJP being a “communal party”, Rio said, “If the BJP is termed as a Hindu party or a communal one… what is the Congress?. They (Congress) also give protection to some communities, which is also communal and therefore, if BJP is communal so is the Congress”.(SP News)
