The current political drama in Nagaland is not as straightforward as it seems. There are many things happening behind the scenes.
The NPF sought to suggest that the idea of an all-party government was conceived to expedite the Naga peace process. However, a BJP insider told The New Indian Express that it was a game being played by the NDPP to clip the BJP’s wings.
Citing a reason, he said the BJP had for long been attempting to form a government with its erstwhile ally NPF by ditching the NDPP. The NPF, in any case, is still a BJP ally in Manipur.
The development forced the BJP’s central leadership to decide on sending the party’s Nagaland in-charge Nalin Kohli to the state on Wednesday, the BJP insider said.
The 60-member Nagaland House currently has 59 members following the demise of one MLA. The PDA has the support of 34 MLAs (20 from NDPP, 12 from BJP and two Independents) while NPF has 25 MLAs.
However, seven MLAs from the NPF have been with the NDPP for a long time. In February this year, the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court dismissed two interlocutory applications filed by the NPF which had sought to keep the seven suspended MLAs off the Assembly.
It was learnt the NDPP had invited the NPF to be a part of the government which was followed by a meeting of the NPF legislators on Monday. They decided to accept the offer in the interest of the settlement of the protracted Naga political problem.
The BJP has not yet made its position known.
(Source: The New Indian Express)