The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has voiced its support for the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP government in Nagaland. This move has effectively resulted in forming an Opposition-less government in the state. The NCP, one of the BJP’s major opponents in Maharashtra and other parts of India, has chosen to stand by the ruling coalition in Nagaland.
NDPP won 25 seats, and BJP won 12 in Nagaland Assembly Elections. Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as Chief Minister with a Cabinet of 7 ministers from NDPP & 5 from BJP.
NCP is the largest party outside the combination of NDPP-BJP, with seven seats. However, its MLAs expressed their desire to join the government during Narendra Verma’s visit to Nagaland.
On Wednesday, Verma announced that NCP party leader Sharad Pawar had approved the party’s support of the NDPP-BJP government in Nagaland. He issued a statement which did not mention the BJP, saying, “The local newly elected MLAs and the NCP local unit of Nagaland had suggested that it would be in the best interest of the state and their relationship with Chief Minister N. Rio if they joined the government. After listening to the North East in charge, Pawar decided to accept Rio’s leadership in the interest of Nagaland.”
In the lead-up to the Nagaland elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) opened its doors to sitting MLAs and candidates not given tickets by their respective parties. Picto Shohe, the NCP’s newly appointed Legislature Party leader, was elected to the Assembly in 2018 as part of the Naga People’s Front (NPF). However, when the NDPP failed to field him as a candidate, he decided to join the NCP.
The BJP-led coalition is likely to form the government in Nagaland despite not achieving the majority as other parties supported them, resulting in an Opposition-less government similar to the one created in 2021.
The two parties have yet to decide if they will form a coalition government with other political parties in Nagaland. The decision will be made by the new Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
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