Kohima, Oct 19: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been elected as the leader of the NPF legislature party (NPFLP).
The decision was taken after Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) on Saturday adopted a resolution for merger with the Naga People’s Front (NPF).
The development comes after a meeting of the NPF legislature party held at the CM’s residential office on Saturday after the NDPP’s resolution for merger with NPF.
Rio, in a social media post, said, “I am humbled to be elected leader of the NPF legislature party. Along with NPFLP, we met Hon’ble Speaker Shri Sharingain Longkumer & submitted our documents. Grateful to my colleagues & party organisations for reposing faith in my leadership & to the Almighty for His guidance & blessings.”
Sources said NPF president Apong Pongener and secretary general Achumbemo Kikon also officially submitted the merger acceptance documents to Speaker Longkumer.
With the merger, the NPF, which had only two members in the House of 60, has now grown to 34.
NPF will mark its 63rd foundation day with a general convention-cum-official welcome ceremony in Kohima on October 21.
Rio had resigned as the then home minister in S C Jamir’s Congress government in 2002, and floated Nagaland People’s Council (NPC), which was later renamed as Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) to broaden its base beyond Nagaland, particularly into Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Under Rio’s leadership, NPF won three consecutive assembly elections — 2003, 2008, and 2013 — before he vacated his seat in 2014 to serve as a Lok Sabha MP.
However, following internal differences, Rio left the NPF in 2017 and nurtured the formation of the NDPP.
In alliance with the BJP under a 40-20 seat-sharing formula, the NDPP contested the 2018 elections and formed the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government. While the NPF, led by then Chief Minister T R Zeliang, emerged as the single-largest party with 26 seats, it failed to garner the support needed to form the government.
The NDPP-BJP alliance (NDPP 25 and BJP 12) returned to power in 2023, backed by other parties including NCP (7), NPP (5), LJP (Ram Vilas) and RPI (Athawale) (2 each), JD(U) (1), and Independents (4).
The NPF, reduced to two MLAs, extended unconditional support to the Rio-led government, rendering the 14th Nagaland Assembly oppositionless.
However, following the proposal of the NPF to Chief Minister Rio to return to the regional party and take over its leadership, series of meetings were held by the NDPP.(PTI)
