After months of continued melee in the political circles especially of the ruling Naga People’s Front party leading to uncertainty and speculation, one final clarity has arrived after the present Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio announced his resignation from the party and joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party. Whatever be the various different hierarchy that is maintained within the NPF party, at the grassroots he is taken as the man behind the success of the NPF party. His resignation from the Indian National Congress with some of his colleagues in 2002 and joining the then regional party gave the much needed fillip to the then Nagaland People’s Council that had faced de-recognition from the Election Commission of India for boycotting the elections in 1998. The party was then renamed to Nagaland People’s Front and went to the polls in 2003 and returned with 19 seats in the 60-member house. Along with the other alliance partners , BJP, JD(U) and Samata Party he formed the government. Then he led the party again to victory in 2008. The party then tried to foray into the other Naga inhabited areas especially in Manipur and Arunachal to make a statement of its support for the ongoing peace process regarding the Naga political issue. It was finally renamed as Naga People’s Front with the approval of the ECI in 2010. As the sitting chief minister he is credited to the spread of the party to these two states where it was initially met with stiff opposition. At present, Manipur currently has 4 NPF MLAs. Then in 2013 the NPF had a landslide victory in the state when it won 38 seats. The combination of president Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, chief minister Neiphiu Rio and Secretary General of the party KG Kenye seemed like a deadly combination for the other political parties, especially the Indian National Congress that could secure only eight seats. However trouble started immediately after the polls with the rush for plumb portfolios that it created a ruckus by the party workers and supporters. Then the next storm came in 2014 when Rio decided to contest in the lone Lok Sabha seat from the state. The impending vacuum that his absence would create led to a stiff struggle for power. There was literally an internal coup in the party with the tacit support of his former friends not to let his chosen successor Noke Wangnao to become the chief minister. Most of the legislators of the NPF along with some other legislators from other political parties and independents left the state and camped at the now famous resort at Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. Rio’s return to the state after campaigning for the NPF in Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeast states for North-East Regional Political Front was welcomed only by a few legislators who were left out by the Kaziranga group. Although he won the Lok Sabha polls he was the lone NPF member in the house and so his prospects for securing a ministerial berth in the Narendra Modi led NDA government fizzled out. Then starting from the failed attempt of 2015 when he supported Kaito Aye to be the chief minister the tussle continued till recently. The infighting also made the then eighth Congress legislators to make inroads into the government. Unfortunately for him, he also learned the harsh lesson that in the present world, power is a necessity to keep the flock together and also to command respect with alliance partners. He also faced suspension from his party during this whole political circus that was played out. Even the BJP seemed like it had ditched him for the ones in power in the state. After nearly 3 years of squabbles, in December 2017 it was perceived that the party had truly reconciled but only to be proved wrong once again with Rio resigning from the party. Neiphiu Rio might not be the end of the NPF party but with election dates announced, the once formidable NPF party may have very little to take back and to talk about to the electorates during the hustings.
