GUWAHATI: The BJP has conquered the northeast over the past few years but Nagaland refuses to give complete power, thanks to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
With less than a year left for the state to go to elections, Rio, 70, has made his intentions clear that his Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which heads the state’s ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), wants to avoid dependence on ally BJP.
UDA chairman and former CM T R Zeliang said he along with 20 Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislators had joined the NDPP to “debar a third party” from taking advantage in Nagaland politics.
The third party is understandably the BJP. The NDPP’s ties with the BJP have remained strained for the past year over the latter’s alleged attempt to topple the Rio government.
It became conspicuous when Rio stripped Deputy CM Y Patton – of the BJP – of an important portfolio.
Insiders in the UDA blamed Patton and some BJP leaders close to him for the turmoil. They said Patton had been for long aspiring to become the CM.
The BJP had allegedly maintained a close rapport with the NPF, much to the chagrin of Rio.
So, Rio first accommodated the NPF in the UDA in September last year, making it an “all-party government”.
As the threat remained, he allegedly played a key role in the split in the regional party last week. Of the total 25, 21 NPF legislators defected to the NDPP.