Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Jan. 19 : Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ‘open to tie-ups in Nagaland’ – a political alliance to help strengthen the BJP’s ground in Nagaland – the BJP’s general secretary in charge of the north-eastern states Ram Madhav has made it clear that Neiphiu Rio’s separation from the Naga People’s Front (NPF) has ‘opened options’ for the party.
According to a report in national newspaper The Hindu on Fri., Madhav was of the view that the resignation of Lok Sabha member Rio from the ruling NPF to lead the newly-formed Naga Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) had opened options for the BJP.
“In Nagaland, the BJP has kept its options open at the moment. We are serious about bringing a stable and development-focussed government in Nagaland. What happened in the last three-four years was that the government has changed at least three-four times, there are Ministers who have taken oath four times in the last five years. We are looking for an option which would help us in taking forward and amicably concluding the Naga talks, which have progressed to a great extent. In the present government, our party was the junior partner, and the instability was because of infighting within the NPP (read as NPF). A stable government which is in tune with the Centre will be helpful to the State at this time,” he was quoted as saying.
The BJP, according to the report, was keeping its options open for allies in Nagaland and was looking to form a government that would be “helpful in concluding the Naga accord amicably.”
This particular statement also appears to have put to rest any possibility of the central government conceding to the demand of Naga Civil Society for solution to the Indo-Naga talks before elections. From Madhav’s statement, it would appear that the BJP leadership intends to seal the talks with the involvement of a new government.
However, the BJP leadership in Nagaland maintained that there was no directive yet from the central leaders. “We have not decided on anything yet. And we have not received any directive (from the central leadership,” said Visasolie Lhoungo, the president of BJP’s Nagaland unit.
