The political scene in Nagaland on Thursday was stirred by the resignation of former Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi from the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). This development follows the startling outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, where Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir won by a substantial margin of 50,984 votes against his main opponent, the NDPP contender Dr Chumben Murry.
Yepthomi, who once led the opposition as a Congressman before switching to the NDPP, addressed his resignation letter to NDPP President Chingwang Konyak. The letter was brief, stating, “I hereby tender my resignation from the primary and active membership of the NDPP,” without elaborating on his reasons for leaving the party.
The political community is abuzz with speculation that Yepthomi might return to the Congress party, which he left nearly ten years ago for the Naga People’s Front and subsequently the NDPP. Reports indicate that he may have aspirations to lead the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) as the incumbent NPCC president S Supongmeren Jamir is expected to be relieved of his role after being elected Lok Sabha MP.
Yepthomi was first elected to the Lok Sabha in a by-election in 2018 and then re-elected in the 2019 general elections. He was, however, sidelined in the recently held 2024 general elections as Dr Chumben Murry of the NDPP was nominated as the consensus candidate of the NDPP-led PDA.
Mokokchung Times