Naga People's Front to contest polls with BJP

With the elections in sight, the Naga People's Front has swallowed its June 2017 resolution where it announced severing of all ties with the BJP, and announced that they will contest the election with the BJP and that the party has agreed with them on principle about the seat sharing as well.

In an emergency meeting of the party's Central Executive Council (CEC) on Tuesday, the party took a few resolutions. Significant among these was the "reviewing" of the decision to sever ties with the BJP. While the earlier resolution was signed by party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu, Tuesday's resolution was signed by other party members, including Nagaland CM TR Zeliang.

In a review of the earlier decision, the resolution said that the decision was taken at a time "to protect the constitutional rights of people at a time when there were misunderstandings within the party". It further said that "considering the urgency to create a congenial atmosphere" for the ongoing political dialogue between the Centre and the Naga National Workers, the party has reviewed its earlier decision. It also appealed the NSCN (K) to join the political dialogue by calling for a ceasefire.

The resolution also said that the party president, former CM Liezietsu and CM Zeliang will distribute the party tickets and that Zeliang will be the party's CM face. The party's resolution gather significance with the BJP actively pursuing former CM Neiphiu Rio, who left the NPF to join the recently-formed party National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).