In a major political development in Nagaland, all seven MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have officially merged with the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), significantly boosting Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s legislative strength. With this merger, the NDPP’s tally in the 60-member state assembly has risen from 25 to 32, granting it an absolute majority.
The merger was formally accepted by the Speaker of the House, solidifying the NDPP’s dominant position. In the 2023 assembly elections, the NCP had emerged as the third-largest party, trailing behind the NDPP and its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds 12 seats.
Nagaland government spokesperson and NDPP minister KG Kenye confirmed the development during a press conference on Saturday. “We have been joined by a few more friends in the NDPP. Out of the nine political groups in the current assembly, the NCP, which held seven seats, has now merged with us,” he said.
Kenye highlighted that the merger would further strengthen Chief Minister Rio’s leadership and enhance governance across the state. He also noted that coalition seat-sharing arrangements are flexible and subject to change in future elections.
Explaining the rationale behind the merger, Kenye stated that national parties often struggle to address region-specific issues, and the shift reflects a growing preference for state-focused political strategies. He also acknowledged that the decision was influenced by both the political environment and the strong leadership within the NDPP.
The current composition of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly now includes 32 NDPP MLAs, 12 from the BJP, five from the NPP, two each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), Naga People’s Front, and RPI (Athawale), one JD(U) MLA, and four independents.
