Union Minister of State for Home Affairs on Saturday said in Guwahati that BJP has entered into a seat sharing alliance with Nephew Rio-led Nationalist Democratic People’s Party (NDPP) for the ensuing Nagaland Assembly polls slated for February 27.
“We are very honoured and happy to announce that we have declared the seat sharing alliance with NDPP. NDPP, being headed by Nephiu Rio, will contest in 40 seats and 20 seats to be contested by BJP,”Rijiju told reporters in Guwahati.
The junior home minister further said that even though the BJP has forged an alliance with newly floated NDPP, the party has not dumped Naga Peoples Front (NPF).
“NPF had been NDA ally since 2003. It’s a long time alliance and in the past also despite having alliance with NPF, we never had formal seat sharing. We used to contest the Nagaland Assembly elections on separate basis without sharing seat but we used to have very cordial relationship and had post poll alliance. So with the declaration of seat sharing alliance with NDPP, I want to make it very clear that we are are not dumping or we are not severing our ties with NPF.
Regarding not forging an alliance with NPF, Rijiju said, “We tried to have some alliance with NPF but we could not come into a conclusion with the proper seat sharing arrangement. That is why we could not have any pre-poll seat sharing alliance with NPF. So we have formally entered into alliance with NDPP.”
“We are very hopeful that our alliance NDPP-BJP will secure absolute majority in the election and we will form the next government,” he added.
Making it clear that the Central government will go ahead with the elections in Nagalanad, Rijiju said, “We understand and appreciate the sentiment being put forward by the core committee group of Naga Hohos and civil society groups but the Central government could not postpone the election because it’s a constitutional process so the Central government is going ahead with this election with full force.”
“We have appealed everyone not to boycott election. We are very grateful that major civil society groups have openly come out in support of the election. We have appealed both the underground and over ground organisation in Nagaland not to cause any kind of hurdles in the election process,” he said.