NCP supports Rio's candidature from Nagaland for LS polls

Nagaland unit of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to extend full support to the candidature of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio from the state's lone seat in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Neiphiu Rio is the consensus candidate of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), a pre-poll alliance comprising NPF, BJP and JD(U), towards which the four legislators of NCP have been extending outside support in the state Assembly.
The decision to this effect was taken at last night's meeting of NCP leaders and legislators, NCP Legislature Party leader T M Lotha said here today.
He said the party and its legislators thoroughly deliberated on the prevailing political development following DAN's unanimous decision to support the candidature of Rio for the LS elections in the state.

NCP expressed hope that as an MP, Rio would be able to play an effective role at the Centre, besides pushing the ongoing Naga peace process for finding an early solution.
Declaring Rio as the consensus candidate of DAN recently in Kohima, Chairman of the DAN Coordination Committee Shurhozolie Liezietsu had requested other political parties in the state to extend support to him in the interest of the Naga people.
However, Opposition Congress in the state has categorically refused to support Rio, stating that if at all the ruling NPF wanted all the parties to support a consensus candidate, a proper meeting of political parties in the state should have been held prior to declaration of the DAN consensus candidate.