NPCC collects over 2 lakh signatures in 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' campaign

The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has collected over two lakh signatures under the 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' campaign, which aims to promote clean elections and raise awareness against alleged electoral malpractice across the country, a party leader claimed on Saturday NPCC Working President Khriedi Theunuo told reporters that while the AICC had set a target of 1.5 lakh signatures, the NPCC surpassed it, gathering 2,08,057 signatures from 12 District Congress Committees (DCCs). Kohima contributed the highest with 72,000 signatures, followed by Dimapur with 50,000 and Mokokchung with 10,000.

Theunuo said the signatures will be submitted to the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, after which the Congress high command will forward them to the President of India. The campaign, he noted, protests against alleged vote manipulation by the ruling BJP and its allies, and seeks to uphold democratic integrity.

''The 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' campaign is a democratic awareness movement,'' Theunuo stated.

NPCC President and Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir congratulated party workers for the successful completion of the state-wide signature drive. ''Our first aim was to reach out to the grassroots people and focus on a clean election,'' Jamir said, adding that the campaign also marks the beginning of the Congress's preparation for the 2028 Assembly elections.

He reiterated that the Congress will ''fight for a clean election'' and highlight issues of misgovernance in the country. ''We are not going against individuals, but against policies and programmes that are not being delivered to the people,'' he said.

Jamir said that the campaign was not limited to Congress supporters. ''The signature campaign was open to all voters who value their precious vote. It is a conscious stand against vote manipulation, irrespective of party lines,'' he said.