BJP, ally to retain power in Nagaland: Rajnath

DIMAPUR: The BJP has exuded confidence that it will retain power in Nagaland and better its tally in Tripura and Meghalaya assembly in the ongoing elections.

The mood of people shows that Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) is the obvious choice of the voters here, BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters here last night after addressing a series of election rallies in three districts of Longleng, Tuensang and Wokha where the party fielded maximum number of candidates for the March 5 election.

He claimed that DAN government, where BJP was a coalition partner, had been working for peace and development in the state.

Singh, accompanied by BJP's Nagaland in-charge Rajiv Pratap Rudy and state president Ato Yepthomi and party's northeast in-charge V Satish, yesterday made a whirlwind tour in the districts.

Claiming that BJP would form a coalition government with its regional partner Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), Singh said the formation of the next government in Meghalaya would depend on the electoral success of BJP.

He said the people of Nagaland have now understood that Congress does not want permanent peace and stability in the state. He alleged that successive Congress governments have done nothing for the development of the state in the past 40 years.

Singh termed the recent increase in violent incidents in Nagaland during President's Rule as a gift to the people in the form of PR package by Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.