Nagaland had an opposition-less government for some period in the last ministry as the leader of Opposition TR Zeliang (NPF) became chairman of the opposition-less coalition.
The main reason cited for such a government has been to facilitate the impending Naga Political issue.
However, many quarters have raised the negative effects of not having an opposition to debate on the policies and performance of the government.
To be recognised as the leader of opposition party, a party has to secure at least 10% of the total seats in the assembly. Its vote share was just 1.1% in the 2018 elections.
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In the current general elections for the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has secured 7 seats, and thus crossed the threshold of 6 seats for recognition as the principal opposition party with leader of opposition, which is of cabinet minister rank.
NCP also secured an impressive vote share having got 9.56% of the total votes polled in the Nagaland assembly elections 2023.
Its list of winning candidates includes prominent figures such as Er. Picto Shohe, P. Longon and Namri Nchang amongst others.
NCP had categorically cited that they won’t be entering into an alliance with BJP.
As per reports published in Morung Express, “NCP National General Secretary, Narendra B Verma, told a press conference in Dimapur on December 19, that the NCP will contest in the state Assembly elections, tentatively scheduled in February 2023, and ready for tying up with any party not allied to the BJP”.
As per the report, NCP National General Secretary Verma said, “the NCP is looking for “like-minded and secular parties” for stitching together a pre-poll pact in the state to go up against the BJP alliance. He maintained that the party has no intention of allying with the BJP whatsoever.”
At the National level, Bhartiya Janta Party and Nationalist Congress Party are not in the best of terms at the moment even though they were once partners. The main issue between the two parties is due to the state politics of Maharashtra, which is the base of NCP and its supremo Sharad Pawar.
In Maharashtra, BJP tried to form the government with NCP after the 2019 polls. However, incumbent BJP CM Devendra Fadnavis could not form the government in spite of BJP-Shiv Sena getting a majority. NCP and Congress joined hands with Shiv Sena, the ally of BJP, to form the government.
