BJP, NPF working on alliance, claim reports

DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 30 (MExN): The opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) and PDA alliance member, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are reportedly planning on forming an alliance of their own according to reports on September 30. 

The reports speculated that there have been several meetings over the past month between Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister, TR Zeliang and the current state Deputy Chief Minister cum Home Minister, Y Patton, who is from the BJP. 

When contacted on Monday night, legislators and senior party officials from both the NPF and the BJP refused to comment on the reports. They however neither confirmed nor denied the development. 

However, one NPF leader stated that: “It is a small world. We will come to know in the next few days.”

 
This development sees a sharp turn from what BJP General Secretary, Ram Madhav had said during an event in Wokha that the alliance between the BJP and the NDPP was a “gentlemanly agreement” and would complete its term.

Speaking at the same event, both the Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton and State BJP President and Minister Temjen Imna Along had also echoed the same sentiments.

However, quoting sources, the reports said that an alliance between the NPF and BJP could make way for Deputy CM, Y Patton’s ambitions to become the Chief Minister. The now ruling PDA, had initially comprised of the BJP, JDU, NPP and one independent. 

During the last State assembly elections, the NPF had won 26 seats, followed by the NDPP with 18, and the BJP won 12. The NPP won two seats, with the JD(U) and an independent bagging one seat each. Earlier this year, however, two NPP MLAs and one JD(U) MLA joined the NDPP, taking their strength  to 21.

An NPF-BJP alliance would muster up a strength of 38 members. 

However, this would be subject to the position of the seven NPF MLAs who had extended support to NDPP legislator and PDA consensus candidate Tokheho Yepthomi during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. Yepthomi eventually went on to win, while the seven NPF lesgislators were suspended in April, followed by filing of disqualification petitions before the NLA Speaker.