Nagaland chief ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio and senior leaders of the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the government formation in Nagaland.

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National president JP Nadda with Neiphiu Rio, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, NDPP President Chingwang Konyak, NDPP Secretary General Abu Metha and NDPP Senior Vice President Rusemtong Longkumer during a meeting, in New Delhi, Sunday, March 5. (Twitter photo: @himantabiswa)

 

The meeting at the home of the BJP’s chief strategist Shah was also attended by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, NDPP chief Chingwang Konyak, NDPP secretary general Abu Metha and NDPP senior vice president Rusemtong Longkumer.

 

“Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio met Union Home Minister Amit Shah & BJP National president JP Nadda to express his gratitude for their support during the Nagaland Assembly polls. He further invited both of them to his oath-taking ceremony on March 7,” Sarma said in a tweet.

 

According to news reports, cabinet structure and government formation were discussed during the meeting.

 

Nagaland’s longest serving chief minister Rio is set to assume office as chief minister for a record fifth consecutive term after the win for his party and its ally, the BJP.

 

The NDPP-BJP pre-poll alliance contested the Nagaland poll on a 40:20 seat-sharing formula as they did in 2018 with the understanding that Rio will be the face of its new government.

 

The oath-taking ceremony of the chief minister and other ministers is set to take place on Tuesday, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

 

Nagaland heading for
opposition-less government, again?

 

Meanwhile, in another development, the NCP, which is the third single largest party, submitted a letter extending ‘unconditional’ support on Saturday to the Rio-led NDPP, newly elected NCP MLA Y Mhonbemo Humtsoe told PTI on Sunday.

 

Three more other parties – LJP (Ram Vilas), RPI (Athawale), JD(U) – are also reported to have already submitted letters of support to the alliance partners.

 

NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon, who is also one of the newly elected MLAs, is also reported to have said that though a final decision has not been taken, the party, which has two members, is “likely to extend support to the government.”

 

If the reports coming in are true, it is amply clear that the new Nagaland government is likely heading towards an opposition-less government with almost all parties extending unconditional support to the NDPP-BJP alliance.

 

In the state Assembly elections, for which results were declared on March 2, the pre-poll alliance partners – NDPP-BJP won 25 and 12 seats respectively, totaling 37 in the 60-member House.

 

The other political parties include NCP with 7 seats, NPP – 5, LJP (Ram Vilas), Naga People’s Front (NPF) and RPI (Athawale) – 2 each, JD(U) – 1 and Independents – 4.

 

This is perhaps the first time that Nagaland has had the victory of so many political parties in the state Assembly elections. LJP (RV) and RPI (Athawale) are new entrants in the State politics.

 

While the NDPP-BJP is yet to formally stake a claim for government formation, they have received unconditional support from other political parties to continue their second innings.

 

It may be recalled that in 2015 and again in 2021, opposition-less governments were formed during the ongoing term of a government. However, if the latest developments are any indication, this would be the first ever Assembly which is set to be an opposition-less one even before the House has been sworn in.

 

Mokokchung Times

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