Kohima: The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has officially joined the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (NDPP-BJP)-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government in Nagaland.
“The NDPP and NPF are finalising the formalities of the merger as a single political entity to strengthen the regional force in the state,” officials aware of the development said.
The merger is expected to be completed following the general convention of the NPF on October 21.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio convened a meeting of the three PDA partners on Wednesday and passed a resolution that the alliance with the BJP will continue, putting to rest ongoing speculations about how the merger would compromise NDPP’s current equations with BJP.
Besides the reaffirmation of the partnership with the BJP, the PDA meeting also agreed to continue facilitating a peaceful resolution to the long-drawn Naga political issue, NPF secretary general and MLA Achumbemo Kikon said on Thursday.
Maintaining that the present opposition-less government sends out a strong message of unity, he is hopeful that the imminent merger of the NDPP and NPF will further strengthen regional unity and contribute more meaningfully towards the Naga peace process.
