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Journalism of Courage
As the leader of a party that drew a blank in the last Assembly elections in the state, Nagaland Congress president Kewekhape Therie has more than a few challenges ahead of him in the coming polls. One of those battles is also personal. The 69-year-old veteran politician has not been able to win in the last three Assembly elections.
Therie, the former Pfutsero MLA, was one of the 43 Congress candidates who won unopposed in the 1998 Assembly polls. Following the election, S C Jamir became the chief minister.
In the years that followed, disagreements arose over the state Congress leadership’s stance on the Naga political issue. Therie and other party leaders went on to revolt against the Congress. Current CM Neiphiu Rio, then a Congress legislator, was part of the group.
Therie was subsequently among the prominent legislators who, in 2002, fashioned the Naga People’s Front (NPF) from the existing Naga People’s Council.
He won from the Pfutsero seat again in 2003, this time on an NPF ticket. The Congress had won the highest number of seats in 2003 as well but a grouping of the NPF, the BJP, and the Janata Dal (United) – called the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland – came to power.
In just a few years, the situation would change again. Differences with Rio led Therie back to the party he had once played a key role in destabilising. He rejoined the Congress in 2007.
The Congress has steadily been losing ground in the state. The last election saw a complete rout, with the party only being able to field candidates in 18 out of the 60 constituencies and winning zero seats. After the elections, Therie reportedly offered to step down as Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee president.
This year, the Congress has 23 candidates in the fray. It initially fielded 25 candidates. However, two among them ended up withdrawing their nominations. One of these withdrawals led to the BJP’s Kazheto Kimini winning unopposed from Akuluto.
The party has also been seeking to form a pre-poll alliance with “like-minded secular” parties, including the NPF, but has not been successful. All parties are preferring to keep their options open for possible scenarios that could arise after the elections.
Despite the setbacks and hurdles for the Congress, Therie has put up a spirited fight before the elections.
Seeking a reset, he is contesting from the Dimapur I constituency against sitting BJP MLA Tovihoto Ayemi instead of Pfutsero.
He has also been conducting regular press conferences to keep up the heat on the BJP-National Democratic People’s Party (NDPP) alliance by accusing them of corruption and of “betraying the people of Nagaland” by not resolving the Naga political problem.
