Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has asserted that the successes of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party’s (NDPP) in the recently-concluded urban local body (ULB) elections was a proof of the fact that the people of the state were still with the ruling party.
Admitting that the PDA’s recent defeat in the Lok Sabha election was ideological and not political, he however asserted that the success in the ULB polls had shown that the people were still with the ruling coalition. He was interacting with the media at the flagging of new vehicles for Nagaland Police at Police Complex, Chümoukedima, on Thursday.
He said that the party was able to retain public confidence with the help of the people and alliance partners, all of whom worked together. Asked on the statement of Assam chief minister and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement that the NDA lost some seats in the North East due to religious factors, Rio replied that everyone was aware of it, adding that there was no need for him to comment on it further.
Amidst the successful conclusion of the ULB elections, when asked whether the state would depend on the its own fund, or there were scopes for generating funds, he stressed that each municipal or town council should generate as much funds as possible, adding that the state support grant along with finance commission and CSS programme would be provided for functioning.