Nagaland elections: With opposition wilting long before polling, the NDPP-BJP alliance is all set to return

The polling in Nagaland is due on February 27.

I begin this column presuming few have heard of Kiruphema Basa, Thizama and Nihokhu villages in Nagaland. The first two are in Kohima district, and the third is in Niuland district.

Of course, I do not blame you, the reader, for not knowing these villages. In Nagaland, these three villages and their residents are in the news for a reason that may appear strange to us: They demanded “clean elections”!

All That Money Can Buy

But such citizens represent a tiny, but increasingly visible, section of people who want elections to be fought the way it was meant to be: On issues. In a state where money has now triumphed over every potential issue, these are welcome, though still nascent, changes.

The issue of money is, of course, not exclusive to Nagaland. Across the nation, we have now accepted that during election season, money is distributed by every party that:

* Has that kind of money

* Knows that giving cash will translate to votes

* Is aware that not doing so can cost them their seat.

I have been fortunate to cover elections across the nation. Yet, I can say that no state has the misfortune of Nagaland when it comes to money ruining every chance of forming an honest, accountable, and credible government.

The Party Hopper CM

Take the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Formed only in 2017, the party has been at the helm with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the past five years. The origin of NDPP is rather curious, but not so much if you know Northeast's politicians.

It takes little in the Northeast to switch allegiances; and Neiphiu Rio, formerly a Congressman (at this point, who in the Northeast is not an ex-Congress leader?), then of the Nagaland People's Front, is now one of the BJP's most trusted allies. Rio has been a four-term Chief Minister and with the BJP as an ally, there was little to prevent the duo from showing us the 'double-engine' government.

Instead, what we got was a Chief Minister acknowledging in the state assembly that the Kohima-Dimapur lane expansion, a project that harks back to the time of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, may never see the light of day. So much for double-engine. No matter how you see it, Nagaland has not even heard the sound of the double engine, let alone in action.

Winning Made Easy

The digital divide remains a major challenge in a state where the education standard was sub-par even before the pandemic. The roads remain woeful. Public health is best explained by the fact that a state of over 30 lakh people does not have even a medical college in 2023. And even a cursory search for Frontier Nagaland will show you how bad things are in the 'forgotten' parts of Nagaland.

And none of this matters in the upcoming elections because unless there is an upset of epic proportions, I expect NDPP and BJP to return to power. Why?

Here's the thing. As mentioned earlier, the festival of democracy pays rich dividends in Nagaland. During the days spent covering poll preparations and interviewing leaders, I lost count of how many times people spoke about the endless supply of pork at the homes of the candidates.

Candidates' homes turn into banquet halls, no-holds-barred feasts become the norm, and of course, alcohol flows in a state which, let us not forget, bans alcohol for 'religious' reasons. And no, this is not limited to a party because how can it be? Talk to the BJP, and they will tell you the 'evils' of cash and alcohol better than an upcoming actor who has memorised his favourite Shah Rukh Khan dialogue by heart. Ask the Congress, and of course, no surprises there too.

No Opposition Land

When preparing to interview eight-term MLA and president of the Naga People's Front, Shürhozelie Liezietsu, I expected a leader ready to take on one more fight in his long and illustrious career. Instead, there was a leader who looked defeated: not physically; despite his age, he spoke well and his charisma and gentle words will remain with me for years.

But here was the NPF, an old regional party which, last year, even won a few seats in the Naga regions of Manipur, admitting that the party's condition isn’t promising. The NPF had emerged as the single largest party in the 2018 elections with 26 seats, but the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) sneaked ahead, forming a coalition government with other parties and an Independent candidate.

But the NPF suffered a severe jolt last year when 21 of its legislators, led by former CM TR Zeliang "merged" with the NDPP and formed the all-party United Democratic Alliance (UDA). And here's the cold fact: This time, the NPF has fielded candidates in only 22 seats. Even if they win every seat, they will be far from forming a government.

The less said about the Congress in Nagaland, the better. Everything wrong with the state today finds its origins in Congress. This explains why the party drew a blank in the 2018 elections. And in 2023, the party has pinned its hope on Kewekhape Therie, a 69-year-old veteran politician who has not been able to win in the last three Assembly elections.

The elections in Nagaland appear a foregone conclusion. I expect the NDPP-BJP to return to power. That said, Nagaland residents deserve better. Not in terms of political parties, but in terms of a government that cares for them throughout the year and not just before elections.

Karma Paljor is founder and editor-in-chief of Eastmojo.com, a Northeast-based news portal. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.