NPF’s alliance with BJP not over: Nagaland CM

KOHIMA: The 15-year alliance between the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) and BJP is not over yet, Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang said on Wednesday. NPF has not closed its doors to BJP despite the two parties are fighting the election as rivals, he added.

“The trust between the two parties is still there. I have a minister from BJP (P Paiwang Konyak) who is still a part of my cabinet and an adviser from BJP (TN Lotha) in the rank of a cabinet minister,” Zeliang said after launching NPF’s campaign. Putting the ball in BJP’s court, he said, “It is for them to decide what to do next.”

BJP state chief Visasolie Lhoungu was also not averse to the rekindling of ties. “The alliance has not been scrapped as yet. We have not severed ties with NPF and the door is still open for them,” he said.


The sudden turnaround has thrown the contest wide open, leading to speculation about the post-poll scenario and the fate of former NPF leader and present chief ministerial candidate of the BJP-NDPP alliance Neiphiu Rio. The Northern Angami-II seat has already gone to Rio after his opponents withdrew from the contest.

When asked if a post-poll alliance could be struck in case of a hung assembly, Zeliang said,“There will be no hung assembly. NPF will get majority on its own.”

According to both Zeliang and Lhoungu, ties between the two parties went sour over a pre-poll seat sharing agreement.

“We didn’t drive out BJP… they walked away. They wanted to impose the seat sharing agreement. I told them we can have an alliance but not a seat sharing agreement. NDPP chased BJP leaders for seat sharing with an offer of 20 to 40 seats. BJP asked for 15 seats, which we did not agree to because it was not feasible,” Zeliang said.

Lhoungu admitted, “Our first preference was NPF but they found it difficult even to share 10 seats. NDPP was willing to give us 20 seats. So, we struck the alliance.”

The trust between the two parties is still there. I have a minister from BJP who is still a part of my cabinet and an adviser from BJP in the rank of a cabinet minister.