Nagaland: Demands of more seat from BJP in poll alliance

KOHIMA: State elections in Nagaland are weeks away, and speculation about the seat distribution is heating up.

Naga People’s Front (NPF) leader Kozholuzo Nieno said Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Nagaland could force CM Neiphiu Rio-led NDPP to increase BJP’s share.
In a chat with Media, Nienu said the NPF party, the oldest existing regional party in the state, is mentally prepared to contest the coming elections on its own.

“They (BJP and NDPP) will continue with the alliance but there is a rumor that Amit Shah has asked for an increase of four seats from 20 to 24 seats,” he said.

Last year, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced their decision to continue with the pre-poll alliance for the 2023 state elections.
Later in September, when BJP national president JP Nadda visited the state, Nadda said the party had agreed with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio-led NDPP on its 20:40 seat-sharing strategy. Will remain committed.

Nadda made the statement after Deputy Chief Minister and state BJP Legislature Party leader Y Paton urged the central leadership to increase the number of seats the party will share with the NDPP to 30 for the 2023 assembly elections: Equal to 30.
Talks are going away now that Shah has tried to increase the seat allocation. An NDPP source said the regional party is hopeful that the national party will stick to the 20:40 seat-sharing formula it followed during the last state elections and as the party has in the upcoming elections. What was promised?

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer, V Shashank Shekhar, IAS, on Monday held a meeting with representatives of various political parties in his office chamber, Kohima on ECI’s visit to Nagaland and the upcoming general elections.
The CEO had informed that the commission would visit the state between January 13 and 15 to meet all recognized political parties and interact with senior officers of the state government, including the chief secretary and the DGP.
The ECI will also review the election preparations with all DCs, SPs, and enforcement agencies, both state and central. Shekhar also informed that state-level training and many preparations have been going on for the past two months and the commission has already deployed 50 CAPF companies, and more will arrive soon.

The CEO hoped for citizens’ participation in providing information to various governments, central and state, including enforcement agencies, to ensure free and fair elections.