Naga Republic News | Analysis –
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has provided a credible third alternative for voters in Nagaland as is evident from the 12 seats the BJP bagged in the just concluded elections. This is the biggest takeaway from the recently concluded elections held in Nagaland.
Notwithstanding the fear expressed by the influential Church in Nagaland and public apprehension over the ‘Hindutva’ factor, voters across the State appear to have given the benefit of doubt to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mr Modi’s leadership.
While the Naga People’s Front (NFP) emerged as the single largest party with 26 seats, the new regional outfit and BJP Alliance partner, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won 18 seats followed closely by the BJP at 12 seats. The BJP had just one seat and 1.8% of the vote share in the 2013 elections. This rose to 14.4% in 2018, with victory in 12 seats.
More significantly the win for the BJP this time were spread across Nagaland beyond its known stronghold of Wokha and Mon district and thereby expanding its footprints in the Christian majority State of Nagaland.
It may be mentioned that in the run up to the elections, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the apex Church body in the State, had issued a strongly worded letter to the political parties in Nagaland. The letter had expressed apprehension over what the Church described as the ‘unprecedentedly strong and invasive’ hindutva movement in the country especially the ‘last few years with the BJP, the political wing of the RSS in power’.
However people’s fears and apprehension over the ‘hindutva’ agenda was probably won over with the BJP riding on its campaign message of a corruption free government, all round development and more importantly its assurance of an early political solution to the Indo-Naga issue. The big picture of Nagaland elections 2018 is that the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been given a small window of opportunity by the electorates of Nagaland.
The nature of the verdict is also such that the BJP is expected to assert itself more in the running of the incoming government headed by Neiphiu Rio of the NDPP, its pre-poll alliance partner. In terms of overall performance the BJP did much better than the NDPP, which contested in 40 seats but could return only 18, giving the BJP with 12 seats almost an equal say in government formation. At the end of the day, the BJP under Narendra Modi has emerged as the biggest winner of the elections in Nagaland.
The BJP as the ruling party in the Centre was always expected to play a key role in forming the next government in Nagaland. Even if its formal alliance with the NDPP had not worked, it could still have tied up with its former ally, the NPF, which emerged as the single largest party with 26 seats. However with support extended by the lone Independent and one JD (U) candidate, the NDPP-BJP Alliance has a slim but working majority of 32 in a House of 60.
Coming to the post-election scenario and what is expected of the new government, it is clear that the mood of the people is for change to happen on many fronts. A few of the important ones are mentioned here. Corruption, lack of development, unemployment and political settlement are some of the pressing issues that people expect to be solved.
The other notable takeaway from the election in Nagaland is that people have voted for early solution to the Indo-Naga peace process. By and large the people of Nagaland have faith and confidence that Prime Minister Modi will deliver on a political solution to the protracted issue. This is something that the ruling BJP government at the Centre must urgently address along with the new State government led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
There is expectation that a new kind of politics will emerge in Nagaland post-election 2018.
In the run up to the elections the stark reality facing the people was that there were no good choices before the electorate. It was either the ruling NPF or the newly floated NDPP. Both are seen as two sides of the same coin—the faces of corruption in Nagaland. Mr Modi’s leadership provided a credible third alternative for voters. For Prime Minister Modi in particular, the Nagaland verdict is a trust deposit given by the people. Much expectation therefore rests on Mr Modi to fulfill this trust.
Readers may share their own perspective by commenting on the above news analysis
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2 Comments
Joel newmai
March 5, 2018 - 10:20 pmBoth NPF and NDPP are seen as two sides of the same coin. But still we always choose for the head side so I wish BJP choose the single majority NPF party as they are the head themselves in our state, we choose.
Joel newmai
March 5, 2018 - 10:35 pmBoth NPF and NDPP are seen as two sides of the same coin, I wish BJP to go with NPF as we always chose the head and NPF is the only single majority party we the Nagaland people have chosed. So I request BJP to with 15 years leading party than to be with newly floated party with ur alliance. We Nagaland people want NPF