Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Legislature Party leader Y. Patton on Friday said the BJP should prepare to contest all 60 assembly seats in Nagaland in the 2028 elections.
Speaking at the BJP Nagaland state executive meeting-cum-organisational workshop held at Town Hall, Dimapur, Patton pointed to the party’s strong turnout and recalled that even during the 2023 polls he had pressed for either contesting all 60 seats or a “30-30 seat-sharing arrangement.”
Patton, who was first elected on a BJP ticket in 2008 when the party won only two seats, highlighted the steady rise of the BJP in Nagaland. Under the 40:20 seat-sharing formula with the NDPP in 2018, the BJP contested 20 seats and won 12, while NDPP won 18 of its 40. In 2023 too, the BJP fielded 20 candidates and again returned with 12.
He questioned whether there was any internal resolution “restricting the BJP from crossing the 12-seat mark,” while stressing that development in Nagaland had been possible only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Patton added that a BJP-led government in Nagaland “could one day be formed during Modi’s tenure.”
On the seat-sharing formula, he remarked: “How long will the 40:20 continue?” He maintained that any change in the arrangement or a move towards a friendly contest would depend on the party’s grassroots performance.
Patton urged elected members not to neglect the karyakartas, saying their efforts were what brought leaders to power. He appealed to legislators to “think beyond their own 12 constituencies and work across all 60, if the BJP hopes to expand further.”
He also asked party workers to avoid criticism and instead unite and cooperate with state BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi. Expressing optimism, he said by 2028 the BJP could increase its tally and eventually form its own government in the state.
In his presidential address, Yepthomi described the meeting as a moment of reflection and reaffirmation of the party’s commitment to serve Nagaland under Modi’s leadership. He credited Modi’s tenure with “a transformational journey” in India, citing reforms in infrastructure, poverty alleviation, national security, and youth empowerment, adding that Nagaland too had benefitted from “historic central attention.”
According to him, the BJP’s greatest asset was its disciplined and dedicated karyakartas. While acknowledging challenges ahead, Yepthomi said the party had always turned challenges into opportunities, with a mission to expand across Nagaland.
Patton announces 1,200 vacancies; responds to merger talks, border issue, and media spat
Patton said over 1,200 government vacancies will be advertised this month. Speaking to media after the BJP state executive meeting in Dimapur, he clarified that the 935 pending vacancies remain sub judice. “Fresh recruitment could only begin after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict,” he said.
On the reported merger between NPF and NDPP, Patton declined to comment, calling it a “regional matter.”
He also dismissed social media allegations linking him to a recent incident in Manipur where a journalist sustained bullet injuries. “If he (the accused person) is the culprit and if it was intentional, then he should be booked,” Patton remarked.
Addressing the Ralan issue in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the Nagaland-Assam border, Patton said he had been monitoring the situation since July 16 in coordination with local bodies, district officials and Assam counterparts. Refuting reports that he had not visited the affected area, he clarified: “I went to Ralan on July 24 along with colleagues.”
On his recent public exchange with a journalist, the Deputy CM admitted he was at fault. However, he urged the media to verify facts before publishing “baseless reports.”
(With inputs from Eastern Mirror)