"Silent scorer" :::: Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu emerges out of the shadows of 'tough times' politics .... proposes name of Neiphiu Rio as legislature party leader

 *MERGER OF NDPP AND NPF IN NAGALAND*

It's Vudzu Day in the Tenyimia land !!

Rooster is called Vudzu in Angami-Chakhesang belt of Nagaland.

October 18, 2025 -- an important day in the life of 'Cock' as a political symbol.  

A sitting chief minister of about 20 years stint Neiphiu Rio kept his date with political destiny and embraced the power of glamorous Rooster.

The 32-MLA strong Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland officially merged with the Naga People's Front (NPF) which had won just two seats in the 2023 polls.

Analysts are calling it the win of 'regionalism' polity in Nagaland.

The Cock is political symbol of non-Congress, non-BJP 'regional' polity since 1963 when the Democratic Party of Nagaland (DPN) was floated by the likes of A Kevichusa. 

The coming together of NDPP which was floated with the latent support of Rio (then a Lok Sabha MP) in 2017 December with the NPF - is to form a unified and robust regional political party.

"This strategic consolidation brings together the strengths of both parties, resulting in a total of 34 NPF Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including the Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. 

The Speaker has formally acknowledged the merger and issued an official Acceptance Letter," a source in NPF (post unity) told this blogger.

Azo Neinu - 'silent scorer' of Unity Game ... on extreme left of Amit Shah

It goes without stating had Azo Nieu become president of NPF in 2023 -- which looked certain for a while - ... this merger would have come much earlier.

"In the legislature meeting Neiphiu Rio has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the NPF Legislature Party, with the proposal moved by Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu and seconded by G. Kaito Aye and C. L. John," said a party source.

"The NPF extends its best wishes for a prosperous and united future. Long live NPF. Kuknalim," another party leader said.  

A few weeks back, Azo Nienu jokingly had said - "In 2023 ... you all in the media wrote us off. I told you ... media will regret and eat their own words. Our ideology or the Naga regionalism we cherish is something much bigger than some urbane intellectuals can appreciate".   

In his address on Oct 21 (2023), Küzholüzo (Azo) Nienu said, "There is a positive side to my withdrawal as candidate for party president....

I will save money....few crores...in next few years". 

He also volunteered to advise -- "Those who supported Apong Pongener as president should also extend him financial and all types of help". 

For his part, outgoing NPF chief Shurhozelie had his dosages of observations about money but his words sounded a critique of the NDPP-BJP dispensation.  

"Money is a great servant and a bad master," said the outgoing NPF chief Shurhozelie in his farewell presidential address at the party's convention (Oct 21, 2023).

"The NPF is the party of the people as its name indicates. Therefore, if realisation is there in true sense, I would like to invite all our old friends to come back home again," he had said.

But the fact of the matter is by denying NPF presidentship to Azo in 2023, Shurhozelie tried to issue a sort of a veto power against this merger move.

However, as the saying goes the propensity of keeping dates with destiny cannot be postponed forever.   

ends