It is like Ripley’s Believe it or Not! The BJP and Congress have both become partners of the government in Nagaland headed by TR Zeliang of the Naga People’s Front. While Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Tokheho Yepthomi was inducted into Zeliang’s ministry on Friday, BJP’s P Paiwang Konyak had earlier joined his ministry on April 27. Naga People’s Front-the main partner of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN)-is also part of the NDA led by the BJP at the Centre. But whether the BJP would continue to be part of it is yet to be seen, especially as the state BJP unit had only recently opposed Zeliang’s proposal when the party’s national president Amit Shah had visited Nagaland on April 18. “Our national president had already made it clear that the BJP cannot be part of any government where the Congress also exists. He had made it clear during his visit to Nagaland last month. We are sending a report on the situation to the national BJP parliamentary board tonight,” state BJP president M Chuba Ao told The Indian Express from Kohima Thursday evening. [related-post] The induction of a Congress minister to Zeliang’s DAN comes close a little over a month after the Nagaland chief minister had first spoken about an “all-party government” – thus wiping out the existence of opposition in the state assembly. Interestingly, chief minister Zeliang had on April 18 made a strong plea before Amit Shah to consider the “ground reality” and to support his efforts to form an “all-party” government. Zeliang’s “ground reality” is that he had obtained support of the Congress Legislature Party in a vote of confidence motion on February 5 after a section of his own party legislators had revolted and made a serious attempt to remove him. Zeliang also inducted two NPF legislators Yitachu and Vikheho Swu into his cabinet, both of whom were earlier serving as parliamentary secretaries. While Governor PB Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the three ministers, nine parliamentary secretaries – five of whom are from the Congress – were sworn in by chief minister Zeliang in a separate function later. With the Congress joining the government, there is now no opposition in the state. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has 38 members in the state assembly, while the Congress – opposition till Thursday – has eight members. The BJP (8), NCP (1), JD-U (1) and eight Indepent MLAs are also part of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN).
