Nirendra Dev
The appointment of a new Governor in Nagaland – Nand Kishore Yadav has surprised many.
But at the same time this move has not impressed many people. A low-profile Bihar politician has been made the new custodian of the Kohima Lok (read Raj) Bhavan.
Yadav has strong RSS connections and has been a former Speaker of the state assembly. His being ‘Yadav’ is an element that might have played a role earning Nand Kishore Yadav the – gubernatorial post.
Yadav was a seven-time legislator in Bihar continuously till 2025 from 1995 but was denied ticket in last year’s November polls. He represented Patna East and after delimitation he was MLA for Patna Sahib.
Apparently, it seems the BJP central leadership had decided to move him out of Bihar politics at a time when the Lotus party is set to get chief ministership for the first time. Hence, his appointment as Governor of ‘far-flung’ Nagaland is actually a smart move from Bihar polity’s point of view.
But with regard to the Naga issue; it seems only a decision reflecting adhocism.
Of course, it may be erroneous to believe that a Governor can help bring or expedite the Solution pact vis-a-vis Naga issue when a principal stakeholder that is the NSCN-IM is not quite ready without their two basic demands being met – a separate Constitution and a Naga flag.
Moreover, the Status Quo club among overground elements are powerful and hence influential enough to continue to ‘sabotage (stall)’ the final Solution pact.
Nobody knows when the Modi-Shah duo would opt for a Deadline to sign the pact!
Now, will it be safe to presume that the central government has obliged the NPF-BJP government to continue in office … ‘safe, sound and unimpressive and performance-less’ at least till 2028 assembly elections.
The Bihar power-grab by BJP and especially by the machinations of Amit Shah should provide a lesson that a day is not far when other regional allies of the saffron outfit will have to “succumb with hands tied” in front of the mammon political organisation.
For a long, the saffron party displayed ‘patience’ and made ‘sacrifices’ to let Nitish Kumar continue as the chief minister. There were political compulsions owing to caste equations as despite ‘acceptability’ of the Hindutva factor; the local caste factors never gave the BJP an expected mandate.
Nitish made to quit Chief Ministership ‘honourably’
The day may still be far when Neiphiu Rio too could be opted out.
In Nagaland too; the BJP is showing both the virtues as stated above ‘patience’ and ‘sacrifice’.
Nitish was in office continuously since 2005. Rio shares the same similarity as he too has had a pretty long innings starting from March 2003.
In Bihar; the BJP was ‘kind’ enough and allowed Nitish to continue as chief minister from 2020 when the saffron party had more MLAs than Kumar’s JD-U. In Nagaland; the BJP has been allowing NDPP (Rio’s previous party) to contest 40 seats in the 60-member House.
The BJP supporters in Nagaland were anxiously awaiting the Lotus party to contest all 60 seats in 2023.
So did ticket aspirants and others; but Amit Shah had torpedoed any such misadventures and mercifully gave Rio the upper hand.
Whether Rio repaid that favour by not convincing the NSCN-IM leadership to be more pragmatic is something for academic exercise!!
But reports suggested two different tales in 2019 and 2024. In the last parliamentary polls; either gross ‘inefficiency’ of NDPP had cost it defeat at the hands of Congress party’s lacklustre nominee Supongmeren Jamir — or the NDPP lost the seat deliberately to give a message to Rahul Gandhi and his team comprising Jairam Ramesh among others.
Prior to that in 2019 – allegedly a letter was in circulation.
That Modi returned to power both in 2019 and 2024 was perhaps shocking news for Rio’s team of highly ill-informed associates/advisors.
If the BJP leadership and especially the Modi-Shah duo know ‘someone’ has tried to play double-cross games – the person will be taught a lesson.
If Nitish Kumar’s case is not enough; the Cock party must visit Maharashtra.
The problem with the Cock party is also its know-all Manishankar Aiyar.
The jokers in the pack had fed Rio for months that R N Ravi is not in the good books of the centre and especially Home Minister Shah.
The appointment of Ravi now as the West Bengal Governor is proof that he continues to enjoy the trust of India’s two most powerful leaders. Hence, the move taken a few years back – when Ravi was shunted out from Kohima was no punishment.
Ravi was given a more important and larger state Tamil Nadu from BJP’s own politics.
PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah may not have forgotten that Ravi had raised the bogey of extortion. Some attempts have been made to romanticise the same as Taxation.
But in effect; this is a grey area where agencies like ED and CBI can easily pounce upon.
In the ultimate; the division of Nagaland (at least emotionally and administrative wise) has taken place in the form of FNTA.
If this is an achievement of Nagaland’s longest serving chief minister; there is another facet.
The regionalism or the political power of Cock-party is now on wane.
The NPF is today not the regional outfit of Shurhozelie or the likes of past masters such as Vamuzo.
It has become a club of party-hoppers and a rehabilitation hub of many discredited former Congress leaders.
By 2028 or by 2033 – the BJP may emerge as a natural choice of the voters in Nagaland.
PS:
After La Ganesan; the new Governor Nand Kishore Yadav also has strong RSS roots. As a Bihari neta, Shri Yadav will have a better political acumen as compared to Late Ganesan, who essentially was a simple man and almost an idealist from the old RSS school in Tamil Nadu.
~ Nirendra Dev, New Delhi