While many political parties have expressed desire to be part of the NDPP-BJP alliance in the formation of the new government, Mavil Khieya, a former state politician, asserted that opposition in the government was necessary to govern a state.
Eastern Mirror reached out to Khieya on Sunday evening to get his view for a robust and effective opposition in the government. Khieya was the lone opposition member during the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly from 1998–2003.
"There are advantages if there is opposition in the government; if there is no opposition, there will be more corruption and no one will be there to check the government," he said.
He stated that while winning political parties are indecisive on whether or not to be in the opposition, the swearing-in-ceremony would be held within no time in the state with the presence of India Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
'I think even the BJP will not be keen enough to take them (political parties) onboard necessarily to form the next government,' opined Khieya adding that “Too many members in the assembly will be a disturbance."
As various public related issues are not addressed and often go unheard in the assembly, Khieya was of the view that having an opposition bench was necessary to check rampant corruption.
'If everyone in the assembly only acts on their own wishes and desires without considering the opinions and needs of others, it can cause several problems,' Khieya said while recounting the years how he single handedly confronted the ruling government as the only member in the opposition following his victory in the election as an Independent candidate.
"When there is no opposition to raise any question in the assembly, no one is there to trust the government," he stated and reminded that an opposition in the government provides checks and balances on the ruling party or coalition, which is ‘good for the public.’
Khieya recounted that out of the seven winning Independent candidates, he was the only one who refused to join the government by remaining as the sole opposition member in the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.