NDPP, NPF move closer to merger in Nagaland; CM Rio may head united party

Guwahati: A new political alignment is taking shape in Nagaland with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) inching towards a merger.

NPF president Apong Pongener has offered to step down to pave the way for chief minister Neiphiu Rio to lead the united party.

A senior NPF leader said, “Internal parleys are on and both sides are talking about the merger proposal.”


If the merger goes through, NDPP’s strength in the 60-member Assembly will rise from 32 to 34 with the inclusion of NPF’s two legislators. The move is being seen as a step to consolidate the regional front and strengthen the ruling coalition.

One NPF leader added, “There is a move to retain the NPF identity and symbol in recognition of its historic legacy and emotional connection with the Naga people. The merger would consolidate the regional front, provide stability to the ruling dispensation and project a stronger collective voice on the Naga political issue.”

Rio, who co-founded the NPF in 2002 after leaving the Congress, quit the party in 2018 to join the NDPP ahead of the assembly elections.

The NDPP, which had 25 MLAs after the 2023 polls, gained an absolute majority in June when all seven NCP legislators joined it. With 32 NDPP members, 12 BJP MLAs and support from smaller parties and Independents, the Rio-led alliance enjoys a comfortable majority in the House.