Guwahati: Kitoho S Rotokha, the JDU candidate for Ghaspani II constituency left the party on Friday morning and later joined the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which dealt a stunning blow to JDU Nagaland before of the state assembly elections.
The development comes five days after the JDU announced Rotokha’s candidature here on January 29 in the presence of JDU Nagaland President NSN Lotha, JDU National President Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh, General Secretary and in-charge of the Northeast Afaque Ahmed Khan, Rajya Sabha MP Aneel Hegde, and Bihar Minister Sanjay Kumar.
On the eve of the state’s assembly elections, the political drama playing out in Nagaland may only be the prelude to many unexpected developments.
In the presence of the LJP’s national youth president, Pranab Kumar, who is in charge of the northeast, as well as other state leaders, Rotokha formally joined the party. He pledged not to let the LJP’s goals down after joining the party.
In a statement to the media on February 3, Rotokha, the secretary general of the Nagaland JDU, claimed that he had to leave the party despite the fact that doing so had been unpleasant.
He charged state unit president Lotha with exercising authoritarian control without consulting the other members of the state unit. According to him, Lotha made the announcement that only the state president and general secretary of the party would receive tickets, preventing other potential candidates from running for office.
“Lotha is working towards the downfall of JDU in Nagaland,” he said.
A statement issued by Rotokha and other former leaders of the party said the state executive bearers of the JDU Nagaland, led by general secretary Imsumongba Pongen, at an emergency meeting on Thursday unanimously resolved to resign en masse from the primary and active membership of the party as they have lost confidence on the state unit president Lotha.
“The president adopting a dictatorial attitude offers no exposure or scope for individual or organisational growth and has put an end to the hopes and aspirations of the party members. The support and the quality of leadership expected from the president was pitiful,” the statement read.
However, a statement issued by JDU national general secretary Khan on Friday said the JDU has expelled Rotokha and condemned his anti-party activities. Appropriate action will be taken against him for tarnishing the good image of the JDU in Nagaland, it said.
According to the statement, the state executive party meeting was not authorised and wasn’t led by general secretary Pongen because JDU Nagaland is very much a part of him. Other than Rotokha, it was stated that the other alleged state executives did not have the JDU national office’s approval, making their appointments illegitimate and perhaps fake.
It also said state party president Lotha has the unflinching support and blessings of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and party national president Singh.
“This very confidence of the party high command is absolute and no vested interest can destroy the faith reposed upon Lotha by the party high command,” it added.