Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Mar. 6 (EMN): Just a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put an end to the 15-year-old alliance with the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the elected BJP legislators of the 13th house of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) met Governor PB Acharya at Raj Bhavan on Mar. 6 and submitted their letter of support to Neiphiu Rio’s leadership.
The delegation was led by BJP Legislature Party leader, Y Patton, accompanied by Union Health Minister JP Nadda and party’s general secretary Arun Singh, who are here as central observers for the party.
Similarly, the National People’s Party (NPP), led by its state unit president Ato Yepthomi, also submitted its letter of support to Rio’s leadership. Though only L Khumo was present during the meeting with the governor, it was informed that the other NPP elected representative has also given consent to stick to the party’s decision.
However for the NPP, the governor informed that he will consider it as official only when the party submits its letter signed by the national president Conrad Sangma.
Stating that TR Zeliang should be graceful enough to resign as the chief minister of Nagaland, he expressed hope that the NPF will play the role of a strong opposition in the 13th NLA. “Opposition has greater role to play to make democracy vibrant,” Acharya said.
On the decades-long Naga political issue, the governor said that there will be a solution within six months after government formation.
Patton hints at deputy CM's role
It is likely that the BJP legislature party leader Y Patton will become the deputy chief minister of the 13th house of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
Though this will be known in a day or two, Patton himself has hinted the possibility of taking the chair of deputy CM. This he said while talking to a section of media persons at Raj Bhavan after submitting their (BJP) letter of support to the Governor on Rio’s leadership.
