Kohima, January 31: Nagaland Minister for Planning and Urban Development and president of major ruling NPF party, Dr Shurhozelie shrugged off rumors that the DAN Government would prepone the coming State general election for their electoral advantages.

He denied having done such a move and categorically stated the State would face the election as scheduled.

In is presidential address on the occasion of the Central Office Meeting of the NPF Central Office Bearers here at Hotel Japfu on Wednesday; the Minister ridiculed the Opposition Congress� propagandas that the DAN government would not last, leadership would be changed, and Governor would be removed and what not.

On the contrary, the DAN Government was completing four years, Governor Shyamal Datta had completed his term as Governor of the State successfully and everything was normal.

�In the Same manner this DAN will also complete it full term and will face the coming election as per scheduled�, said Dr Shurhozelie.

The NPF chief also recalled as to how NPF as a regional political party came into being since the Statehood, while other regional political parties used to float from time to time but disappeared.

He said these other regional parties did not have principles and ideologies.

But NPF had survived all along because it had the principles and ideologies that represented the Naga people and their aspirations.

He called upon the party workers to carry these messages of the party to the people and further mentioned that this time they would adopt the theme �back to the people.� �We should not think only for the election but to go to the people and share with them, listen to them and search their minds�, he stated.

�To this, the party workers with their assigned duties should reach out to the people�.

Dr Shurhozelie also explained as to how many sitting Ministers had to be dropped when the downsizing came into force as per the new Anti-Defection Act.

�We didn�t want to affect the Ministry but could not help as it was Constitutional imposition�, he stated.

He however maintained that the new Amendment Act had rather given stability of the Government in the long run.

�So we are happy for the Act has safeguarded the Ministry, although some of our colleagues felt bad when some of them were dropped�, he explained.

The veteran regionalist also thanked the DAN Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for doing his best for the development of the State and also congratulated party workers for their corporation and support to the Government.

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