The message in Nagaland’s mandate to NDPP-BJP: Work hard, deliver on promises

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. (File image)

Few expected any surprises in the Nagaland election verdict, and they were proved right with the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) - Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) returning to power comfortably. But what is truly shocking is that the Naga People's Front, which was the single largest party in the 2018 elections, has ended with only 2 seats.

Old Order Changeth

But perhaps the most encouraging moment on March 2 was witnessing two women leaders: Hekani Jakhalu from Dimapur 3 and Salhoutuonuo Kruse from Western Angami, both from NDPP, script history by becoming the first women MLAs from the state. While Jakhalu won by a relatively comfortable margin of over 1,500 votes, Kruse won by an astonishingly small margin of 7. Kahuli Sema, the only female BJP candidate from Atoizu, however, lost a close contest by just over 600 votes. For a state that had never had a single woman MLA until now, this is a welcome change.

And before we move on to the issues, the Congress showed that it is, at least for now, well and truly dead in Nagaland. The party maintained its 2018 record by not winning a single seat, registering under 4 percent of all votes polled.

Several people had argued that the Nagaland results were a foregone conclusion and for good reason. These results may have come in 2023, but the election looked finished last April itself when 21 of the 26 NPF joined the ruling party the NDPP, which, let us not forget, also emerged from the NPF. In short, the NPF, one of the last remaining regional parties in the region, has played a crucial role in the government formation even as it stares at an uncertain future.

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These results have the potential of ushering Nagaland into a new era. The incoming government will have no excuses to not address the Naga political issue at the earliest. Almost eight years have passed since we witnessed the August 2015 Framework Agreement, but the state remains in limbo. Add to that, the demand for a separate state from six districts of Eastern Nagaland must also be addressed at the earliest. The high voter turnout in eastern Nagaland, many argue, is a referendum for the demand for Frontier Nagaland. At this point, one must also congratulate the Central government in assuring the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation, the apex body of the districts demanding Frontier Nagaland, that they will bring development in the region along with assuring adequate fund allocation.

Aligning With Centre Or Perish

Even though one may argue that the Nagaland government flattered to deceive between 2018 and 2023, the truth is that as of 2023, there is no one apart from the NDPP-BJP alliance that exudes much confidence among the electorate. Sure, parties like the Nationalist Congress Party and the Janata Dal (United) may have won a few seats, but that is more due to the respective leaders' appeal than a strong conviction in such parties' leaderships.

As mentioned earlier, the only party that could have challenged the alliance was in tatters following the defection of 21 of its 26 MLAs. The near-demolition of the NPF is a sad indictment for regional parties in the region and the message could not be clearer: join the Centre or simply watch your organisation perish.

BJP supporters will disagree: they believe that a double-engine government is not only necessary, but it is also imperative to undo the damage caused by decades of Congress rule. While there is some truth to this, the idea that unless a state votes for the same party at the centre and state, their state may not see development is a dangerous idea that does not bode well for a vibrant democracy.

Make Government Accessible To People

To say that the new government must begin work immediately is to state the obvious: Apart from the Naga political issue and Frontier Nagaland, the state also needs to start addressing infrastructure concerns on a war footing. Every district needs all-weather roads at the earliest. The state must also spend heavily on improving public health.

As of 2018, the state had barely 800 doctors for nearly 3 million people, a staggeringly low number. Completing the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research would be an ideal way to start addressing this issue, but it would also be prudent to invite doctors from across the Northeast and even mainland India to address the doctor shortfall. The state must also build institutes of higher education, including engineering colleges.

More than anything, the new Nagaland government must understand that for many, the state government is mostly inaccessible or simply unapproachable. The state government would do its residents a big favour by taking more proactive steps in ensuring that welfare schemes and initiatives reach the most remote corners. For too long, the state government has not only been based out of Dimapur and Kohima, but it has also focused on only Kohima and Dimapur. This must change, or else too many people lined up for way too long for simply no reason.

Amit Kumar is executive editor of Eastmojo, and a commentator on Northeast politics. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.