North east elections: Cong to back secular candidates in Nagaland; Kerala Christian leaders to campaign in Meghalaya

Kohima: As the elections in the north-east are drawing near, Congress has come in full form to stop the BJP from expanding in this region and hence preventing India from becoming "Congress Mukta" which is the slogan of saffron party.    Aiming at stopping the BJP and its alliance partner from "compromising the way of life of the people of Nagaland", the Congress has said it would support secular party candidates in seats where it is not contesting in the Assembly election. Congress is contesting in 19 seats in the February 27 election for the 60-member Assembly. Twenty of its candidates had filed nomination but one of them withdrew candidature. "The decision is aimed at stopping the BJP and its alliance partner from compromising the rights of our people and our way of life," the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) said in a statement. The Congress has directed its rank and file to back secular party candidates to save the people from sinking in the "Hindutva quicksand," the Congress statement said. Meanwhile, christian leaders from Kerala are all set to campaign in Meghalaya which goes to polls on February 27 to elect a 60-member state Assembly. The leaders from Kerala who have been asked to begin campaigning in the Christian-majority northeastern state include former two-time Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, senior legislator K.C. Joseph, Lok Sabha member Anto Antony and MLA Dominic Presentation. Chandy will begin his campaign from Monday after he was directed by the Congress party high command to head for Meghalaya. At present, the Meghalaya Assembly has 29 Congress legislators Minister Of State for Tourism, K.J.Alphons is leading the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign in the poll-bound state. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has asked its Kerala unit to send former state minister Thomas Chandy and party leader Mani C.Kappen for campaigning. (With inputs from agencies)