By Oken Jeet Sandham
KOHIMA, Mar 19 (NEPS): Senior DAN Minister and President of ruling NPF party, Dr Shurhozelie said their party was functioning “peacefully” with “complete cohesiveness and proper understanding” among their members and further expressed confidence that, if “nothing goes wrong at this present rate of DAN’s 2nd term, I think 3rd term is ours.”
Talking to NEPS here today, the senior Minister, while however admitting that some people in the party used to grumble over petty issues, made it clear that those issues did not pose any threat to the “party” or in the “Government.” Such things were bound to happen in a “big party like ours,” he pointed out.
Asked about main opposition Congress in the State, Dr Shurhozelie refused to comment much on the party (Congress). He, however, said it was for the “Naga people to judge the unity of the Congress members in the State.”
He said whatever people might say differences of them outside, they were not worried. Because, he pointed out, they knew their own position and strength.
“We have the same mind with proper understanding —be it in the party or in the government,” he added. “And if nothing goes wrong at this rate of 2nd term of DAN, I think the 3rd term is ours.”
Asked why he had never attempted to join any national political party, Dr Shurhozelie said, “I never joined any national political party and I will never join them, not that I don’t like them.” Elaborating his point, the staunch regionalist hitter believed that unless they were in “regional party,” they would never get “freedom to speak and defend the right of the people.” “Because a national party has party High Command in Delhi and I am a man who cannot change his wife under the High Command,” he asserted.