Congress believed in 'get votes, forget people', so it doesn't have any MLA in Nagaland: Nadda

Congress believed in 'get votes, forget people', so it doesn't have any MLA in Nagaland: Nadda

Congress believed in the approach of ''get votes and forget the people'', and that is the reason it does not have any MLA in Nagaland, BJP president JP Nadda claimed on Saturday.

Addressing an election rally in support of BJP-backed NDPP candidate Chumben Murry in Chumoukedima, he said during the Congress regime, politics in the Northeast meant ''divide and rule''.

''PM Narendra Modi will return to power for a third time, and in real time he will take forward the Naga Accord in an effort to bring complete peace and harmony in the state,'' he said.

The BJP-led government at the Centre will work towards fine-tuning the Naga Peace Accord, taking all on board in line with the policy of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (with all, development for all), he added.

Nadda said that during the tenure of the NDA government, 11 peace accords have been signed and 9,500 insurgents have surrendered.

''Congress misused the opportunity for a long time. They never respected the time and also the opportunity that was given to them. Therefore, development and prosperity came to a standstill in the region,'' he alleged. ''Congress hindered the progress and prosperity of Nagaland with its approach of 'get the votes, and forget the people'. This strategy has resulted in the Congress not having a single seat in the Nagaland assembly. This underscores the disillusionment of Nagaland's people with the Congress,'' he said.

But, under the leadership of PM Modi, today Nagaland is seeing changing times, Nadda said. The PM wants to make the Northeast the gateway for South and East Asia, he said.

''Modi has said Act East, Act first and Act fast,'' he added.

PM Modi has changed the culture, definition and approach of politics in the region, he said ''Under the Congress regime, Northeast meant divide and divide and divide and rule. But, under BJP it has changed to DeVINE (Prime Minister's Development Initiative for NE region) model of governance,'' he said.

''Today, for Delhi, neither Kohima nor Manipur is far away,'' he said.

Urging people to vote for Murry, Nadda said, ''He will always be respected by PM Modi.'' Nadda said the BJP-led NDA will stand with Nagaland with all strength and take forward the development and progress of the state.

While the BJP president did not speak about the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation's announcement of abstaining from the elections over their demand for a separate state, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio appealed to them to participate in the democratic exercise, promising that their issues will be addressed after the formation of the new government at the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)