NDPP would not merge with BJP, says Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio

Nagaland Chief Minister and leader Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) Neiphiu Rio said that NDPP party would not merge with BJP.

Talking to media persons, Rio said that NDPP is in electoral alliance with BJP since 2017. “Myself or any other leader of NDPP never said anything like that (merger of NDPP with BJP). Congress has cooked up the baseless story. They have no moral position to raise any question about our integrity,” the Chief Minister said.

The Nagaland state Congress Chief K. Therie on Thursday claimed that the NDPP is contemplating to install a BJP government in the state.


The BJP and the NDPP last month finalised the seat sharing deal to contest for the 60-member Nagaland assembly elections early next year.

The NDPP will contest on 40 seats and BJP on 20 seats in next year’s assembly polls. The NDPP-BJP Alliance in Nagaland was formed in 2018. In 2018, the NDPP contested in 40 seats and the BJP contested in 20 seats.

Recently 21 MLAS of Naga People’s Front (NPF) joined NDPP and the party was left with only four MLAs.

NPF is in alliance with NDPP and together with BJP is running an all-party opposition-less United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government in the state. Last year Nagaland became opposition- less with NPF joined the government.