The Rising People’s Party (RPP) said the 18 Lok Sabha election would be the right time for the people of Nagaland to set an example by coming to the forefront en masse to elect a good leader to represent the Nagas
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Monday made a clarion call to the people of Nagaland to rise above “partisan politics” and to vote for Congress candidate, Supongmeren, for the ensuing 18th Lok Sabha election scheduled for April 19 in Nagaland.
The RPP in a press release issued on Monday stated that the Nagas have been harping on for a “change” and for which it said the 18 Lok Sabha election would be the right time for the people of Nagaland to set an example by coming to the forefront en masse to elect a good leader to represent the Nagas.
Stating that unlike state assembly elections which are won or lost on the grounds of money power, village, range, and tribal politics, RPP felt that the ensuing Lok Sabha election should set the tone that Naga voters are progressive-mindful of the fact that the people and poor centric ideology and good leaders matter for the well-being of the state or the country.
Though RPP is not fielding its candidate in the ensuing Lok Sabha election, it informed that the party has decided to support the candidature of the Congress party as according to RPP, the Congress is a “Pan-India Party”, and fighting for the “soul India” which is inclusivity and diversity, and though regional in outlook, the RPP shares the same ideology and principles with the Congress when it comes to “inclusivity and decency in politics”.
The RPP also mentioned that in this battle of ideologies for the “idea of India”, the party felt that the Congress is also best placed to lead the “battle” in the state and the fact that setting up an RPP candidate would split the “anti-fascist, anti-PDA votes” rendering both the parties weakened for future electoral battles ahead, particularly 2028 state general elections.
It went on to appeal to all its party workers and sympathizers to support the Congress candidate, Supongmeren, at a time such as this when “insanity and hopelessness” prevail.
RPP further added that the outcome of this election would also be a referendum for and against the PDA government by highlighting that in the last NLA election held in 2023, the opposition-less PDA government garnered 95.29 per cent of the total votes cast in the state.
The Lok Sabha election being a “truer gauge” of people’s feelings, the RPP has appealed to every single voter to come out of their comfort zone and to vote against the PDA government which according to the party has failed on every developmental parameter thereby creating a “failed state”.