BJP, ally confident of forming government in Nagaland

KOHIMA: The BJP and its pre-poll ally in Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), on Sunday exuded confidence that they would be able to form a stable government in the state as the numbers were on their side.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the pre-poll allies have got a "near simple majority" in the 60-member assembly while NDPP leader and three-time chief minister Neiphiu Rio said he was confident that their alliance will form the next government in Nagaland.

"We are in a comfortable position to form the next government. The NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have the support of one independent and one JD(U) MLAs which takes us to 32 seats," Madhav told reporters here.

The BJP leader said the NDPP-BJP alliance will stake claim to form the government in next few days.

Rio said the alliance is in a comfortable position to form the government.Highlighting the alliances' priorities when it forms the government, Rio said they have two top priorities — resolution of the Naga political issue as soon as possible and all-round development of Nagaland.

"We want a solution to the Naga political issue as early as possible and the second is the development aspect like road, railways and infrastructure," he said.In the 60-member assembly, the NDPP bagged 16 seats, the BJP 11 and leading in one seat, the National Peoples Party got two seats, the JD-U and Independent one each.

The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), which was a BJP ally but parted ways before the assembly elections, bagged 27 seats.

NPF leader and outgoing Chief Minister T R Zeliang, however, has expressed interest in joining hands with the BJP to form the government.