In a major development, an all-party meeting comprising NDPP, BJP, NPF and two Independent legislators agreed in principle to form an all-party government under the nomenclature “Nagaland United Government”.
Highly placed sources informed Nagaland Post that the decision was taken after the legislators from NDPP, BJP and NPF and two Independents MLAs held a meeting at the residential office of chief minister Neiphiu Rio here on Wednesday.
Another source said a memorandum was shared among the parties to take it to their respective party high commands for final approval. It may be mentioned that the move for an opposition-less government was proposed on Naga political issue.
Even though the NPF legislators did not put any precondition in forming an opposition-less government, it was learnt that one cabinet post may be allotted to the party. Currently, in the 12-member cabinet, one seat fell vacant following the demise of then minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Justice and Law and senior NDPP member, C.M. Chang. The seat was however filled after NDPP candidate and former minister, H. Chuba Chang was declared elected unopposed for the by-election to the 51 Noksen constituency. As published in this newspaper on July 26, sources said that the BJP central leadership may not have issues with an all-party government in the State if the present ministry was not disturbed.
Sources informed Nagaland Post that the party’s central leadership might give its nod to the new political arrangement on the condition that the present ministry was not disturbed.
Earlier, in an interaction with media persons, the chief minister had said the coming together of the legislators was to send clear a message for unity on the Naga political issue, whose settlement was said to be now at an advanced stage.
As published on July 20, the ruling NDPP and the opposition NPF agreed to work together as an all-party government supposedly for the Naga political issue in pursuance of the objective of ‘one solution, one agreement.’ The coming together was facilitated after formation of the Core Committee for Naga Political Issue on June 16, 2021.
Soon after the proposal for an all-party government had come up, the NPF legislators met at Dimapur. After a marathon meeting on July 19 at the opposition leader, T.R. Zeliang’s residence in Dimapur, 18 out of 25 NPF legislators decided to accept the offer without pre-conditions in the interest of Naga political solution. It was only later that the remaining seven suspended legislators of the NPF, endorsed the concept of an opposition-less government with the PDA in the larger interest of the Naga people.
It may be noted that the NPF suffered a setback when the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court in February last, dismissed two interlocutory applications filed by the party that sought to keep seven of its suspended MLAs off the Nagaland Assembly. If the latest arrangement of an all-party government takes place, the NPF will have to take a call on whether or not to withdraw the disqualification petition filed on April 24, 2019 against the seven legislators– E.E. Pangteang, Eshak Konyak, Kejong Chang, B.S. Nganglang Phom, Toyang Chang, N. Thongwang Konyak and C.L. John.
If all goes well, it will be for the second time in Nagaland to witness an all-party government. The first all-party government was formed during DAN-III in 2015 when all eight Congress MLAs joined the government and subsequently merged with the NPF.