Nagaland may see an opposition-less government again with the Naga People's Front (NPF), the lone opposition party deciding to "work together" with the government of People's Democratic Alliance (PDA).
The NPF took the decision in a meeting on Monday night following an appeal by Chief Minister Neiphou Rio to put up a united face to carry forward the Naga political process in order to solve the decades-old Naga conflict.
Sources said the NPF having 25 MLAs would soon join the PDA, which comprises Nationalist Progressive Democratic Party (NDPP) and BJP. The NDPP has 20 MLAs in the House of 60 while BJP has 12 and two are Independents.
"The only reason behind such a major decision is the Naga political issue. We want the talks process to be expedited and an early solution which is acceptable for all the Nagas," NPF secretary-general Achumbemo Kikon said.
He, however, said the nitty gritty of governance would be worked out.
The opposition-less government is nothing new in Nagaland. In 2015, eight Congress MLAs joined the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland led by the NPF under then chief minister and present opposition leader TR Zeliang. However, the Congress MLAs later joined the NPF.
The NPF's decision comes after the government formed a Core Committee for Naga issue comprising all MLAs and two MPs, which appealed to all Naga groups to unite for an early agreement.
Talks with Naga groups including the insurgent groups like NSCN-IM has been going on since 1997 but the process came to a halt last year after the NSCN-IM embroiled into a conflict with Nagaland Governor and the Centre's interlocutor, RN Ravi over the outfit's insistance for a seperate flag and Constitution for the Nagas. The NSCN-IM signed a "Framework Agreement" with the government in August 2015 while Naga National Political Groups, a forum of seven other rebel groups signed another pact with the Centre in 2017.
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