Overview

• The Speaker formally acknowledged the merger and issued an acceptance letter, taking the NPF’s strength to 34 MLAs including the Speaker.
• Announced at the NDPP General Convention, Neiphiu Rio was elected leader of the NPF Legislature Party following the merger.
• Before the move, the NDPP held 32 seats and the NPF held two, with the BJP’s 12 MLAs partnering in government.
• Nagaland continues without a formal opposition, and earlier this week the NPF was inducted into the People’s Democratic Alliance government.
• Party leaders cast the step as building one strong regional platform to address the Naga political issue and revive the NPF after its post-2017 decline.