Rajnath Singh

Dimapur, April 27: The BJP has begun to lose its support base in the Northeast, starting with Nagaland, following party president Rajnath Singh?s statement on the anti-conversion bill of Rajasthan.

Singh had recently said that BJP-ruled states should pass the anti-conversion bill ? purportedly drafted against the activities of Christian missionaries. BJP workers and legislators, who met in Kohima today, decided to submit a memorandum to the party president as well as senior leaders to voice their opposition.

Nagaland, a Christian-majority state, has seven BJP legislators with support gained mainly due to the people?s affinity towards former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In 2003, the party made it to the Assembly for the first time and is part of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland with majority of Nagaland People?s Front (NPF) legislators. Now, there is speculation that many of the legislators may join the ruling NPF unless things change over the next two years. The next state election is due in 2008. Party state president M.C. Konyak, who strongly opposed anti-conversion laws, however, termed the speculation as ?baseless?.

?We are going to Delhi next week. We will meet senior leaders like L.K. Advani, A.B. Vajpayee and the party president and tell them that we are Christians and believe in positive secularism and in the Constitution,? he said.

Asked if it would help, since Singh had already made the statement, Konyak said the president?s word did not hold unless the national executive mooted it.

Nagaland?s opposition to the plan also has its genesis in the recent Assam elections. Party leaders here strongly believe that the BJP played the Hindu card again.

?Not a single Christian candidate in Assamwas given a ticket in the 125 seats it contested. Not even in a place like Karbi Anglong, where there are Christians,? said a senior party leader. He further said the party workers had raised the issue long before the elections and even after it to the party?s Northeast in-charge V. Satish.

When contacted, Satish?s only reaction was that ?The BJP may get 15 seats, which will bring it into a bargaining position?.

A feeling of neglect towards the BJP?s Nagaland unit and its workers here appears to havecrept in.