Nagaland assembly election results 2018: Allies help NDA go past the line

The BJP won unprecedented 11 seats in state, while its ally, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party led by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, won 16 seats

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would form a coalition 

government in Nagaland, and indicated it would be willing to align with the Naga People’s Front (NPF), which has emerged as 

the single-largest party.

The BJP won an unprecedented 11 seats in the state, while its ally, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, won 16 seats. Janata Dal (United) has won one seat, while an Independent and smaller parties have won three seats.

Currently, the majority mark eludes the BJP and NDPP alliance by four seats in the 60-member Assembly. Rio had floated his own party after falling out with Chief Minister T R Zeliang.

News agency IANS quoted Zeliang claiming that his party was willing to form a government with the BJP. He ruled out any truck with Rio-led NDPP. The CM said his party was an ally of the BJP since 2003, and would continue with the alliance.

In New Delhi, Rijiju underlined the decimation of the Congress in Nagaland. “The BJP will form the government in Nagaland with the help of other parties,” he said.
 

Rijiju was the party’s election in-charge for the state. He added that the NPF has already passed a resolution on forming an alliance with the BJP.

The BJP was part of the NPF-led government in Nagaland till the Assembly elections, but parted ways to join hands with the NDPP.

Rijiju said the people of the state had shown tremendous love and affection for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reposed full faith in his vision for Nagaland.

“The BJP has been working with the agenda of development and will continue to do so in Nagaland too,” he said.

Rijiju also underlined the importance of the election as Nagaland was part of the road map Modi had for the Northeast. “A new political landscape led by the BJP is firmly established in the region now. It is good for the Northeast, good for India,” he said.