NDPP to call shots in Nagaland, predicts exit polls

The pollsters on February 27 predicted a second consecutive term for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in the north-eastern state of Nagaland.

NDPP and its junior partner BJP contested the polls on a seat-sharing agreement of 40-20 in the state. The NDPP had contested elections on 40 seats while the saffron party had fought on 20 seats.

During election campaign, the ruling alliance made development the election plank and emphasised that Nagaland will grow and prosper under the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP in its manifesto said it will establish a dedicated Nagaland Cultural Research Fund with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore to preserve the Naga identity and set up a cultural university and invest Rs 100 crore to promote and expand the scope of all major tribal festivals.

In the previous assembly polls held in 2018, of the total 60 seats, NDPP had won 18 seats by securing 25.20 percent vote share, while BJP won 12 seats and vote share of 15.3 percent.

The alliance tipped to retain power is facing Congress and Naga People's Front (NPF), who are contesting in 23 and 22 seats respectively.

In the run up to 2023 Assembly polls, Congress was eyeing to gain ground after it failed to win a single seat in the last state polls in 2018.

However, the exit polls predictions by various agencies too aren’t satisfying for the Grand Old Party.

According to Jan Ki Baat, it predicted zero seat for Congress in Nagaland and NPF is expected to win 6-10 seats. BJP-NDPP coalition is set to retain power with 35-45 seats, it suggested.

Meanwhile, the India Today- Axis My India showed BJP-NDPP alliance can get 38-48 seats out of 60 Assembly seats and retain power.

Naga People's Front is set to win between 3-8 seats, while the Congress is likely to win 1-2 seats and others may bag 5-15 seats.

Zee New-Matrize gave the BJP-NDPP alliance 35-43 seats and 1-3 to the Congress. It gave the NPF 2-5 seats.

After the 2018 elections, Naga People's Front had won 25 seats and its vote share was 38.78 percent.

The party lost its position of being a strong opposition in 2022 as 21 of the total legislators, including former chief minister TR Zeliang joined NDPP in April 2022.

The shift of MLAs helped the NDPP call the shots in seat-sharing talks with the BJP. NPF, which is coalition with the BJP in Manipur has kept the doors open for joining any political party in government formation in Nagaland.