Nagaland to have opposition-less government as NPF decides to join ruling NDPP-led-PDA govt

DIMAPUR: A day after Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) asked all 60 legislators in the Nagaland Assembly to resign in order to pave the way for a Naga solution, the Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF), decided to join the current Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party led-PDA government.

All the 60 MLAs of the State formed the Core Committee on Naga Political Issue on June 16, 2021, which was seen by many as a coming together of the ruling and Opposition parties.

According to reports, the NPF which has a total of 25 MLAs decided to join the Neiphiu Rio-led PDA government after the NDPP invited it to participate in an all-party government with no conditions attached.

The 15-member Core Committee on Naga Political Issues including legislators from both the government and opposition parties held a meeting in the Chumukedima police facility On July 9.

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The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, Opposition leader TR Zeliang besides other members of the committee.

Where the committee adopted a five-point resolution urging all the Naga political groups negotiating with the Government of India to come together in order to hammer out their differences and create a common approach for “one solution and one agreement” among others.

The resolution passed by the committee on the Naga Political issue speaks eloquently about the elected representatives' efforts and commitment in bringing about a definitive settlement to the Naga issue, said NDPP.

It stated that the opposition leader and all other members of the opposition should be commended for heeding the call for unity, putting politics aside, and joining the committee across party lines.

It further stated that at this critical stage in the Naga issue, everyone should urge and prod the Indian government and all negotiating parties to bring the final solution to a logical conclusion as soon as possible.

Pradesh Congress President K Therie, on the other hand, said, "Governor RN Ravi, also the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, clearly stated in the state Assembly in February this year that the talks with the negotiating Naga groups are over."

He then asked why the State Council of Ministers had not given him a free hand to implement the solution or resigned en masse.

He alleged that the Council of Ministers has become a hurdle towards implementing the solution.

Nagaland will have another opposition-less government after the NDPP, the BJP, and an independent formally joined the ruling coalition.

Earlier in May 2015, the then-NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland led by former Chief Minister TR Zeliang became opposition-less, after all eight Congress MLAs subsequently joined the ruling coalition.

The move, according to a senior NPF legislator, was made to create a common platform for a Naga political settlement, as the PDA and NPF are on the same page on the Naga issue.

TR Zeliang is now the State Assembly's opposition leader.

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