Mokokchung, July 27 (MTNews): The Bharatiya Janata Party, Nagaland State, has welcomed the continuation of the BJP–NDPP alliance for the upcoming 2023 general assembly election in the State of Nagaland.
“The continuation of the seat-sharing formula (NDPP 40, BJP 20) is a welcome decision,” said Nagaland BJP president, Temjen Imna Along, in a statement on Wednesday. He also expressed gratitude to the BJP’s central leaders led by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister; Amit Shah, Union Home Minister; Jagat Prakash Nadda, National President BJP and B. Santhosh, National General Secretary (Organization), BJP.
The Nagaland BJP president stated that the continuation of the alliance and the seat sharing formula is reflective of the alliance’s tireless endeavor to provide good governance to the people of Nagaland. “While there is yet much more work to be done, we are encouraged by the visionary leadership of Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister and Y Patton, Deputy Chief Minister, for which the Central leadership have once again reposed their faith upon our state leaders,” he added.
He stated that BJP Nagaland State welcomes this decision and is reassured to continue working tirelessly to strengthen the alliance so that the visionary programs and policies of the government of India under the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, percolates down to each and every citizen in every nook and corner of the state.
It was stated that the state BJP reaffirms its commitment to uphold the joint declaration of both the parties with all sincerity and expressed gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma; and National Spokesperson and Prabhari, Nagaland In-Charge Nalin Kohli for reaffirming the pre-poll Alliance to jointly contest the forthcoming state assembly election with seat sharing arrangement of 40: 20 between the NDPP and BJP.
“We look forward to scaling greater heights in the deliverance of good governance to the people in the days ahead,” the statement read.
NDPP-BJP seat-sharing declaration not final, only a ‘statement’: Patton
Meanwhile, as the NDPP-BJP joint statement on their 40:20 seat-sharing deal circulated on Tuesday evening, deputy chief minister and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton clarified that the joint statement was only a “statement” and did not represent the final scenario of seat-sharing.
In an interview with News18.com, he also claimed that he was not consulted prior to the declaration and wished that Nalin Kohli, the BJP’s state in-charge who signed the joint statement, had kept him in the loop and discussed the arrangement with him.
Patton also stated that, while the decision was ultimately up to the central authorities, the state BJP workers should have been consulted before such a major action.
Patton, who is currently in Delhi, has stated that he will return to Nagaland and discuss the issue with BJP workers, and maintained that the joint declaration was only a “statement” and did not represent the finality of the situation.