Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 26
Despite protests by some BJP workers and intending candidates, the 40:20 seat sharing deal between the NDPP and the BJP seems to be set in stone, as Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and BJP Legislator Jacob Zhimomi today said that the deal would remain intact.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today reaffirmed that the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) stood by the decision of the seat sharing formula of 40: 20 between NDPP and BJP.
Replying to a query as to whether there is any possibility that NDPP may come down to a 30:30 ratio in the seat sharing formula with alliance partner BJP, Rio categorically said “Not at all. It is already decided, I told before and we stand by that decision.”
Talking to media persons here today, he said “Everybody was there when we took decision.” “There will be no friendly contest,” he said adding that in seat sharing, “we (NDPP) will support in their (BJP) seat and they (BJP) will support in our (NDPP) seat.”
Further, Rio said that the list of NDDP candidates will be announced within this month (January).
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Jacob Zhimomi, who is Minister for Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) today informed that the final seat-sharing arrangement between the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stand at 40:20 without any changes.
Speaking with media persons at the tail-end of the 74th Republic Day celebration held at DDSC stadium Dimapur, the PHED Minister stated, “both the NDPP and the Centre have decided on it; so accordingly we will proceed ahead with the elections.” As for the final arrangement, “I am happy with whatever they have decided,” he said.
With regard to a question over the recent discontentment shown by the BJP members over the seat-sharing issue across several districts in the State, Zhimomi was quick to dismiss it. “There is no problem...we have been running an alliance with the NDA for 20 years in Nagaland so this is not a new arrangement for us,” he commented.
It may be mentioned that several party workers and intending candidates hoping to contest the election from a BJP ticket had staged public protests across several districts in the State on January 23 and 24. Demanding a change in the seat-sharing arrangement to 30:30, the disgruntled party members had submitted representations to JP Nadda, National President, BJP; BI Santosh, National General Secretary, BJP (Org); Y Patton, Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the Nagaland BJP Legislature Party; Nalin Kohli, BJP National Spokesperson, Nagaland in-Charge, among others.
