Tovihoto Ayemi’s statement: BJP is not responsible for the DMC crisis

DIMAPUR : Advisor for Tribal Affairs and Elections, H. Tovihoto Ayemi on Saturday clarified that the recent crisis in the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) stemmed from internal divisions among NPF councillors and said the BJP should not be blamed for the developments.
Responding to media queries, Tovihoto maintained that the developments in the DMC were due to issues within the NPF. “The BJP were there, are still there, and will continue to be there. The BJP will have to side with one group or another, but we are not to be blamed,” he said.
His remarks come amid statements by deputy chief minister Y Patton and state BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi indicating that BJP councillors needed to be accommodated in the municipal setup. Tovihoto acknowledged that the BJP, being an alliance partner in the ruling PDA, deserved accommodation, but said that for various reasons things could not be worked out.
He, however, expressed optimism that the issues within the DMC had largely been resolved and credited both the concerned political parties and the government for addressing the situation.
Tovihoto also cautioned against recurring divisions within Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), describing it as a “very unfortunate trend”, and noted that similar issues had surfaced in other towns in the past. He warned that such instability could undermine governance.
“We do not want to see this kind of division in any municipal or town council. Any leadership must be given a chance to serve the people,” he said, adding that public expectations from ULBs were high, especially after the long gap in municipal governance.
He further stressed that political instability directly affected public service delivery, pointing out that office functioning stopped for weeks or even months whenever such issues arose. He questioned how elected representatives would deliver services to the people under such circumstances.
Tovihoto said the government would take steps to ensure that such disruptions did not recur in future.
On being asked about a similar situation in the Niuland Town Council involving BJP councillors, Tovihoto said he was not fully apprised of the developments and suggested that minister for PHED and Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi, would be in a better position to comment. He, however, expressed confidence that the issues in Niuland would also be resolved soon.