Split in DAN, JD(U) distances itself from DAN

Kohima, May 14 (UNI) In a major political development, the Nagaland unit of the Janata Dal (U), an alliance partner of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), has decided to distance itself from DAN for non-inclusion of their member in the Ministry.

In a statement here today, Nagaland JD(U) president S Limatemje regretted the non-inclusion of the JD(U) in the DAN Ministry.

Mr Limatemjen said this was decided in a state executive committee meeting held at Dimapur recently, where the party maintained that the exclusion of JD(U) member from the Ministry was a violation of the pre-poll alliance of the DAN partners.

The DAN was formed with the coming together of the Nagaland People Front (NPF), BJP, Samata Party, Nagaland Democratic Movement (NDM) and JD(U) before February, 2003, Assembly Elections, where the NPF won 19 seats, BJP seven, NDM five, JD(U) three and Samata party one in the 60-member House.

Later four Independent Legislators also joined the DAN and all of them had been included in the DAN Ministry.

The JD(U) executive meeting also welcomed the extension of the ceasefire between the Union Government and the NSCN and appealed to all underground factions to come to a common platform and unitedly hammer out a realistic political settlement with the Centre, the JD(U) president said.

UNI AS SJC YA RS1252