Most leaders keeping fingers close to chest
New Delhi/Kohima
Many politicians in Central Nagaland see 2023 assembly polls as the most crucial
one in the contemporary setting.
It need not be a sheer tribalism factor but the long rule of Neiphiu Rio has changed the game for Central Nagaland politics. S C Jamir was ousted in 2003 and that had heralded Tenyimia hegemony almost.
The NPF in 2014 got a chance to 'share power' with central Nagaland leaders but G Kaito as reportedly suggested by Neiphiu Rio when he moved to Delhi as MP was rejected by veteran Shurhozelie.
Noke's name also figured from Konyak region but Shurhozelie reposed faith in Zeliang leader but politics of T R Zeliang will haunt the NPF chief for many months ahead. The former Chief Minister played a sheer opportunistic game and embraced NDPP.
But the Central Nagaland politics against Rio's long years of virtual monopolistic rule continues. Today even remaining NPF legislators are showing absence of political guts to take on Rio.
Four to five key central Nagaland leaders are hyperactive and they know the importance of outsmarting Neiphiu Rio in the coming elections.
Y Patton's story is the most visible case as he has to pay the price of being an 'assertive Deputy Chief Minister' for the last four and half years. Patton also provoked anguish in other camps beyond the realm of state politics when he said those who are not for a solution or working to 'delay' the process should go to
hell.
Other Central Nagaland leaders Kaito, Jacob Zhimomi, Tokheho Yepthomi, Imkong Imchen and a few more from Mokokchung district are playing their cards well but keeping them close to their chest.
There are a few important seats which the NDPP lost in 2018. The Koridang seat from the central Nagaland (Mokokchung district) was bagged by NPF's Imkong L Imchen - now a NDPP turncoat.
Importantly, he is also a self-proclaimed admirer of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma but one is not sure whether Imchen's heart is really with himself or his party.
Does he hope that Chief Minister Rio may take the liberty of 'offering Koridang seat to the BJP' in 20:40 seat share matrix and also could ensure that former Minister Imkong gets a saffron party ticket.
But things may not be so simple as they appear.
Patton and a few other leaders are doing all sorts of calculations and want the BJP central leadership to take a clear and more assertive stance on the political fotunes of NDPP and its leader Rio.
Central Nagaland makes 21 seats - 10 from Mokokchung district, 7 from Zunheboto and four from Wokha.
But in all three seats of Dimapur and also for Ghaspani-I, the real players are Central Nagaland leaders.
So Rio's future prospect is linked in more ways than one to these 25 seats.
Central Nagaland leaders also would be doing their calculations on backing a 'solid candidate' for Northern Angami II which is represented by no other than Neiphiu Rio.
From the NDPP's perspective and personally for Rio, he has to draw out concrete electoral strategies for these leaders. As a disciple of S C Jamir, Rio knows the best way to handle possible challengers is to defeat them at the roots -- that is at the stage of elections.
Hence in 2018, NDPP played its game to ensure defeat of veteran K L Chishi. The artful game was
unleashed and almost feeling suffocated and perhaps humiliated Chishi quit BJP giving much
relief to Rio.
Of course besides 'defeating' a few Central Nagaland leaders, Rio will have to ensure that some
of his colleagues (former NPF legislators now in NDPP) should also be denied tickets.
Time is less and so if tickets are denied; some of the Central Nagaland leaders would find the going tough.
But it must be appreciated that in the Tenyimia camp itself Shurhozelie remains Rio's bitter political rival even as the NPF is part of the UDA.
Rio also knows some old games. In 2017, the NDPP was finally floated after Shurhozelie announced that T R Zeliang will be the party's chief ministerial face for the battle of 2018.
I spoke to Rio then and he was emphatically clear - "I have told Shurhozelie, I cannot work under the leadership of T R Zeliang".
Rio backed floating of NDPP with Chingwang and Alemtemshi Jamir being two pillars.
For records he joined the party only at a later stage but when it came to elections 2018, Alemtemshi lost both the constituencies he contested.
ends
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