By NNN-PTI
Kohima : The influential church groups and social organisations in Nagaland state have issued various dos and don’ts for political parties to ensure free, fair and morally acceptable state Assembly Polls on March 5.
These organisations have been very vocal against many of the methods used by political parties to woo young voters, particularly the prevailing practice of setting up the so-called ‘youth camps’, where money and liquor flow freely.
Besides polluting the impressionable minds, the churches and NGOs felt such camps often caused nuisance to public peace and harmony in residential colonies and their negative impacts continued even after the elections.
Soon after announcement of the assembly poll schedules, Nagaland Baptist Church Council and the powerful Naga Mothers’ Association issued guidelines to political parties and candidates not to lure students and youth with money and to strictly abide by the Election Commission’s model code of conduct.
As electioneering gathers momentum across Nagaland, many NGOs have taken the lead in passing resolutions in their respective villages or residential colonies restraining political parties from doing whatever they want to garner votes.
Campaigning during the night has been banned in most residential areas keeping in mind public peace and the upcoming HSLC and Higher Secondary final exams.
Five tribal church associations of Tuensang yesterday organised an interactive session with all contesting candidates of the border district and passed resolutions to ensure a fair election which would lead to socio-economic development of the area.