The NDPP has no relevance in Nagaland politics except that it is in power presently. It was born out of political necessity to reinstall the then Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland Mr. Rio back in to the state politics. If one can remember correctly Mr. Rio left the state in 2014 shortly a year after winning his consecutive third term as CM of Nagaland to make his debut in the national politics. Unlike the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Nagaland which was a very tight contest between the ruling government and the opposition Congress, Mr. Rio back then won with a comfortable margin of over 4 lakh votes. He was sent off with much grandiosity. Much hype was generated and the talk was in the air that Mr. Rio would be given Cabinet berth in the Modi 1.0 government. Rio could boast of his credentials as the lone seasoned politician from NER and also the Convenor of NERPF(Northeast Regional Political Forum). His speech in the Central Hall of Parliament on May 20, 2014 added a bonus point to it.
According to reports, the decision to foray in to national politics was due to the close understanding and the rapport Mr. Rio had with Mr. Modi when both were Chief Ministers of their respective states. However, much to the dismay of the Naga people and Rio himself nothing came to fruition. The hope of becoming the first Naga MP to become a Union minister after Dr. SC Jamir who was minister of state in the then Nehru government remained elusive. There were also speculations that he would be inducted in the second reshuffle but it remained to be only a distant dream.
Now, coming back to the present poltical developments in the state. Anybody with a keen understanding of Nagaland politics will find it surprising as to why the NDPP allowed its arch-rival NPF to join the PDA govt without even first consulting its pre-poll alliance partner BJP. It leaves one wondering if this is Mr. Rio's way of payback!
Returning the message that the shots will be called only by him in his turf!
The 'Nagaland United Government' is nothing but a hollow globe(NDPP's symbol). It has nothing to offer to the Naga public. It is only a matter of time before it implodes from within. The Naga National poltical issue will then be brought again to the limelight for another sacrifice.
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