Nagaland: NDPP legislature party to elect its leader today

Kohima (Nagaland) [India], March 3 (ANI): Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will meet in Kohima on Friday to elect its leader after the ruling NDPP and BJP retained power in the state with a comfortable victory.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, advisor to CM Neiphiu Rio Abu Mehta said, “We thank the electorate of #Nagaland for reposing their faith in NDPP and returning the party to power again.”
“The party has won 25 of the 40 seats it contested. This is a success rate of 62.5 per cent. BJP has won 12 seats,” he added.

He said that an early resolution of the Naga political problem will be the agenda of the new government.

“NDPP is in touch with BJP’s central leadership in Delhi, to form the next govt with BJP. NDPP Legislature party meeting is to be held on Friday. The new government’s agenda will be development and peace and early resolution of the Naga political problem,” he added.

Earlier in the day, as the results were declared for all 60 seats, the NDPP-BJP alliance crossed the halfway mark (31 seats) and is poised to form the government in Nagaland with 37 seats, as the NDPP won 25 and BJP secured victory on 12 seats.

The Nagaland political stalwart and its longest-serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio is also set to assume office for a fifth consecutive term after the convincing win.

According to the Election Commission of India, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has won 7 seats while Janata Dal (United) has one seat.

“National People’s Party won 5 seats, and independent has secured four seats in the state,” ECI said.

However, history was scripted in Nagaland when the state elected its first women legislators in its 60 years of statehood. The state, which has had 13 Assemblies so far, never had a woman MLA before Thursday’s result.

The two women lawmakers – Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the ruling NDPP defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats respectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Nagaland for the NDPP-BJP alliance’s win.

“I thank the people of Nagaland for blessing the @NDPPofficial @BJP4Nagaland alliance with yet another mandate to serve the state. The double-engine government will keep working for the state’s progress. I laud our party workers for their hard work which ensured this result,” Modi wrote in his tweet.

Union Minister Amit Shah also said that the newly elected government of the state would continue to advance peace and development in the state and fulfil people’s aspirations.

“I thank the people of Nagaland from the bottom of my heart for choosing peace and progress. The duo of PM @narendramodi and CM @Neiphiu_Rio will continue to advance peace & development in the state and fulfil people’s aspirations,” Shah said in his tweets.