Mon district unit of NDPP and BJP demand key portfolios for 3 elected MLAs in Nagaland government

As the Neiphiu Rio government is set to be sworn in on March 7, leaders of the Mon district unit of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded that three of their elected MLAs be allotted key portfolios in the new government.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister designate Neiphiu Rio and BJP national secretary and Northeast co-convenor Rituraj Sinha, the leaders of both parties from Mon district have urged their respective party leaderships to allot the Home department to Tizit MLA P Paiwang Konyak, the Family Welfare department to Tapi MLA Noke Wangnao, and the Roads and Bridges department to Tehok MLA CL John.

The demand comes ahead of a meeting between Rio and NDPP-BJP coalition partner Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), with the BJP central leadership in New Delhi to discuss portfolios and government formation in Nagaland.

The NDPP-BJP coalition had won a clear majority in the just concluded elections for the 14th Nagaland Assembly, with NDPP winning 25 seats and BJP winning 13. The government formation in Nagaland will mark the second term for the NDPP-BJP coalition.

The Mon district unit's demand for key portfolios for their elected MLAs has put pressure on the party leaderships to address the issue before the government is formed. It remains to be seen whether the parties will accommodate their demand or not.

Meanwhile, the meeting between Rio and Sarma with BJP central leadership including Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda is expected to decide the final plan for the next government in Nagaland.