On his maiden visit to the state as the national president of BJP, Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda visited the popular and majestic Kohima Cathedral in presence of state BJP leaders.
Christians form 90 percent of Nagaland’s 2.2 million people. Christianity arrived in this tribal stronghold way back in 1871 and most Nagas are Baptised Christians.
“Catholics are not in majority in Nagaland….but a good gesture nevertheless on behalf of Mr Nadda to visit the Cathedral,” a local BJP worker said.
Nagaland goes to the polls early next year along with Tripura and Meghalaya in the northeast.
Meanwhile, the Naga peace talks have reached a critical stage and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the NDPP-BJP-NPF combine state government to persist pressure on NSCN-IM to give up their demands for a separate Flag and Constitution and sign a peace pact at the earliest.
In a memorandum submitted to Nadda, the influential Gaon Burrah (Village Elders) Federation has said-“Elections should be conducted only for the legally constituted legislature of Nagaland as per the settlement reached” — implying a Solution to the Naga insurgency and ongoing peace talks should end before elections.
In 2018, the BJP had promised ‘Election for Solution’.
