Amid demands from civil society groups in Nagaland to defer Assembly polls to find a solution to the insurgency issue, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the election will be held on schedule.
He conveyed this to Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang during a meeting here on Tuesday.
The home minister told the Nagaland chief minister that "announcing the dates for Assembly elections is the prerogative of the Election Commission and the elections have to be held on schedule. Any reports to the contrary are incorrect," Singh's office tweeted.
Singh's office also said that the chief minister presented suggestions to Rajnath Singh for a solution to Naga issue. Singh told Zeliang that "negotiations of various Naga groups with the interlocutor will continue".
The home minister's assertion came after Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister Imkong Imchen supported the demand of various Naga groups. These groups have demanded that the final peace accord with insurgent group NSCN-IM be signed before Assembly elections.