New Delhi, May 19: The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) today set at rest rumours that it might snap ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with the two Naga members of Parliament asserting that there was no question of supporting the Congress. They also iterated their support to the North East People’s Forum (NEPF), that was showing signs of a rift after the NDA was trounced at the Lok Sabha elections.
Lok Sabha MP W.W. Konyak and his Rajya Sabha counterpart T.R. Zeliang said the party’s alliance with the NDA would continue though the nature of the relationship would depend on the decision expected to be taken by the NEPF.
“Our relation with the BJP-led coalition will depend very much on the collective decision taken by the North East People’s Forum,” Konyak said. He dismissed speculation about the party’s leaning towards the Congress, saying Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio was “misinterpreted” in his statements.
Rio, when asked if his party would continue to be part of the NDA, had said “it was too early to say anything now”. The NPF has 33 MLAs out of a total of 60 in the Nagaland Assembly. The coalition government will be able to survive even without the support of the BJP.