Dimapur: The BJP's Nagaland unit on Tuesday backed out of a joint declaration signed by all parties in the state on Monday to boycott the upcoming Assembly polls.
The BJP said it would participate in the Nagaland elections, soon after Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju's appeal to the Core Committee of the Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations to withdraw next month's election boycott by political parties in the state.
The party also suspended two of its leaders, state executive member Kheto Sema and state vice-president Tsasepi Sangtam, for participation in the joint declaration.
Rijiju tweeted on Tuesday: "We fully understand the sentiments expressed by the Core Committee of the Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations but election boycott is not the solution. Let's have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modiji's commitment."
All political parties of Nagaland, including the ruling Naga People's Front, on Monday resolved not to contest the elections in compliance with the peoples' demand for "Solution before Elections" to the Naga political impasse.
The core committee of the Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations said the BJP should clarify its position with regard to Joint Declaration. It said, "The BJP cannot speak with a forked tongue. This treacherous act will not go unchallenged. It is apparent that the BJP is playing a dirty game to grab political power at the expense of Naga aspirations as amply exemplified by their slogan 'election for solution'. The committee would like to publicly question whether the state BJP members are Nagas first and whether their allegiance is to their high command or finding a solution to Naga problem".