Nagaland United Government matters sorted out — NDPP working president

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 10 (EMN): Amid speculation on the outcome of the recently announced opposition-less government under the new nomenclature “Nagaland United Government” (NUG), Working President of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) Alemtemshi Jamir on Friday said that “things have been sorted out”.

Jamir, who is also the chief executive officer of Investment Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), said this to journalists on the sideline of an event at Capital Convention in Kohima.

When asked if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the reason for the NUG not formally coming into force after the announcement, he said that ‘there was a little hesitation on the part of the BJP because of the role and share in the government and the ministry’ following the entry of the Naga People’s Front (NPF).

He stated that the BJP, which had a pre-poll alliance with the NDPP in the previous assembly elections, was apprehensive of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA). However, he stated that “PDA will be there”.

Jamir said that all the matters had been sorted out during the recent visit of the chief minister to Delhi to meet the BJP central leaders.

“They have sorted out the matters,” he said.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had said before leaving for Delhi earlier this month to meet the BJP National President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah that the saffron party didn’t back off from NUG and “everything is intact”.

When asked about the all-party government in the state, Jamir said that the NPF agreed to join the PDA government for the sake of one only thing- 'the settlement' (of Naga political issue).

Stressing on the need for unity on all fronts to solve the Naga political issue early, he stated that if ‘political parties can come together and civil societies can come together, they can pressurise the Naga political groups to come together too’.

‘We want the settlement (of Naga issue) to take place as soon as possible,’ he said. ‘If the all-party government works out well, we can tell the Naga political groups that they also have to come together, and only public pressure can push the people to unite and slowly I hope they will come together,’ he added.

When asked about his opinion on a governor being given the role of an interlocutor as well, he said that giving dual assignment to one person is not right.