In what can be termed as a big setback for the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) ahead of the assembly elections in Nagaland, one of the top NDPP leaders Imkong L Imchen today quit the NDPP as an MLA, as he shot off his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

In a conversation with Imkong L Imchen, he said: “This is not a serious issue but since morally I can’t get elected from the NDPP, I am a NDPP bonafide MLA and then I am leaving the party. Therefore, I thought it is my moral obligation to leave the party and then also leave the membership of the House.”

When asked if it was true that he was going to join the Saffron Party (BJP), Imchen said, “Of course I fully appreciate and support the programme and the policies initiated by the BJP party under the leadership of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.”

When sought for more clarity on this, Imchen said, “Officially I have taken the membership from the BJP party and I have also resigned officially from the NDPP.”

Apart from this, Imchen was also asked if he was going to contest the ensuing elections from a BJP ticket. He replied: “Correct. But I am thinking that the BJP ticket will be given or not but I think that I should be given a BJP ticket.”

When asked whether any commitment was given to him by the BJP, Imchen replied, “No, no, no, so far nothing, No commitment nothing. But if they have to go by the winning candidates then…it should come to me, that is what I believe.”

In August of last year, 21 MLAs of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) had joined the NDPP ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and merged with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). The 21 MLAs were led by former chief minister T R Zeliang, who was the NPF legislature party leader.

Imkong L Imchen was also one of the 21 NPF MLAs to have merged with the NDPP, for the sole objective to collectively push for an early solution to the protracted Naga political issue.