Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said he welcomes and supports the joint declaration of the NSCN (IM) and Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) made on January 14, to collaborate for the resolution of the Naga historical and political rights.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines of an event in Kohima, the chief minister maintained that everybody wants solution to the Naga political issue, but it will depend on the negotiating parties.
The general public can only put pressure to the negotiators, Rio said.
He also reiterated that the 60 elected members of the NLA acting as facilitators have been reasoning with everybody.
Meanwhile, Rio also said that “we cannot create a constitutional crisis and kind of create a law and order problem, so I think right thinking people should pursue by the rules.”
On the decision of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) not to participate in the state assembly election 2023, he said talks are ongoing between the Centre’s representatives and ENPO, while expressing confidence that the outcome of the talks would be positive.
Replying to a query if the NDPP-BJP seat-sharing formula (40:20) is still intact, he said as the BJP is a high command party, whatever decisions is taken in Delhi would be final.
He informed that he will leave for Delhi in a day or two in connection with the recent “political development”.
It may be mentioned the NDPP and BJP had entered into a pre-poll alliance in 2018 and the leaders of both the parties had stated earlier that they would continue the alliance based on the earlier seat-sharing formula.