Imphal, March 01: All the consensus candidates of the United Naga Council (UNC) elected in the just concluded election for the 9th State Legislative Assembly would remain in the Opposition bench as declared before the poll results were announced, reaffirmed the Council�s president Paul Leo.

Talking to The sangai Express today Paul recalled �before the polls, we had already taken our decision that our nominated candidates would not join any government and we re-affirmed our stance during a meeting at Tungjoy in Senapati district yesterday�.

The meeting was attended by the victorious candidates and leaders of several Naga civil society organisations, the UNC chief said adding that the successful candidates will now work under the newly floated United Naga Democratic Alliance (UNDA).

Making its stand clear, UNC at the forefront of the Naga integration movement for years, has not changed from the stand that its victorious independent candidates would take on the opposition bench in the Manipur assembly, he added.

Out of eleven consensus candidates fielded by the council for the 9th assembly elections, six emerged victorious and they include Wungnaoshang Keishing (Phungyar), Morung Makunga (Tengnoupal), Danny Shaiza (Ukhrul), Khasim Ruivah (Chingai), Awangbow Newmai (Tamei) and K Raina (Tadubi).

The meeting is also informed to have focused on the Nagas� 60 years of struggle to fulfil their aspiration and uphold the ongoing peace talks as well as works to be executed by the victorious Naga candidates within and beyond the assembly house.

Two other elected independent candidates - M Thorii (Mao) and Khangthuanang Panmei (Tamenglong) are also on the verge of entering into the UNDA fold, he disclosed while informing that Thorii had already endorsed the matter and that he participated in the said meeting.

On this Leo recalled that all the 60 intending Naga candidates including the two had endorsed the declaration made on January 16 at Taphou in Senapati district that they would work unitedly for the cause of the Nagas.