Nagaland polls: ENPO calls off election boycott

ENPO, which represents seven Naga tribes of the districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak, and Shamator, has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland state since 2010 over alleged discrimination

The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) in a statement on Saturday said it has decided to relax its resolve to abstain from the election process in view of the ministry representatives’ request to the organization to review its stand and the subsequent assurance given by union home minister Amit Shah on February 2 in Delhi.

ENPO, which represents seven Naga tribes has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland state since 2010 (Representative Photo)

Ahead of the February 27 Nagaland assembly polls, the union home ministry assured the ENPO, which has been demanding a separate “Frontier Nagaland” state, that the issue would be resolved after the poll process.

ENPO, which represents seven Naga tribes of the districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak, and Shamator, has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland state since 2010 over alleged discrimination.

“The assurance was that a solution as mutually agreed will be reached after following the due process and will be implemented after completion of the election process,” the home ministry said in statement after the meeting.

Amid the statement from the union ministry, after an executive meeting on Saturday at Dimapur, the organization stated that “in faith with the union home minister and the MHA, GoI [government of India]”, ENPO relaxed the August 26, 2022 resolution in the interest of fair and peaceful conduct of election in the state.

The ENPO also requested all citizens to cooperate with the government in the conduct of the election and not create any law and order problems.

A panel of the ministry led by MHA advisor AK Mishra reportedly offered an autonomous regional council for six eastern districts that come under ENPO.