This is typical about a politician-journalist relationship.
Once a journo went to meet a Neta in his residence and when he got aroma of some good stuff coming out of kitchen; he//she told the Neta - "Sir, is it a special day ? There is something nice being cooked in your kitchen."
Neta responds : Not that I know !
Journo: Then it must be in your neighbour's kitchen !!
The Politician says :
"Let's focus on our work... If something is being cooked in my neghbour's kitchen, it is not my business. And if it is in my own kitchen; it is not your business".
Now coming to fast approaching 2028 assembly elections in Nagaland; is there a problem brewing between NPF and the BJP ?
I have used the phrase "problem brewing" consciously. The phrase usually means things are starting to go sideways.
Ting Tong.
The NPF lost power in 2018 because BJP or rather a gentleman called Ram Madhav dumped India's second oldest regional party and 'embraced' NDPP. In effect the embrace was between Ram Madhav and Neiphiu Rio.
In 2023, Rio's Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma came to the rescue and an one-sided deal was inked in favour of NDPP. By circumstance or otherwise, the BJP contested only 20 and won 12 seats yet again - exactly the same number as 2018.
The NDPP's numbers went up --- but in effect the NDPP got a lot many spare tyres. The sheer expenditure is so much that most non-NDPP and non-BJP legislators had to make a beeline and agree for 'deals' - whatever the terms and papers.
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| At top : He may be alone, but battle ready !! |
Mr Rio is now the NPF chief and of course also the chief minister. But post-West Bengal elections, he gave a TV interview and agreed to speak about NPF-BJP allies of 2028. Normally, a 'safe customer', Rio would always avoid getting into any formal discussion on such delicate matters.
Of course, post-2024 Lok Sabha polls; between us - me and my 'favourite chief minister' Rio -- we spoke on these lines. But all of it were off the record. But now in the TV interview with a Guwahati-based channel, Nagaland's 'NDA chief minister' almost blamed BJP for the mandate of 2024 in his state -- which the Congress candidate Supongmeren Jamir won.
Supong may contest 2028 assembly election too but ticket may come from Kohima, the township which according to the Congress MP deserves a 'good airport' near northern Angami hills.
Let us get to what Rio said in the interview:
"NPF is BJP alliance in Manipur; NPF is also now alliance of BJP in Nagaland .... yes definitely (I have emotional attachment with NPF)". Answering questions on pre-poll alliance of 2028, he said:
"When time comes those talks will start. But as far as party (NPF) is concerned, we will continue to be alliance with BJP.
"It will be a pre-poll alliance. It can be seat sharing or it can be friendly contest."
Importantly, this 'friendly contest' is a new concept. In 2023, a section of BJP leaders were more than keen about the same but neither BJP high command nor Rio himself were agreeable to that. As a result, many BJP leaders quit the saffron party and two Dr A Sukhato (from Pughoboto) and Kevechutso Doulo (Chizami) did so with a sense of hurt.
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| Pughoboto |
Rio's utterances about 2024 Supongmeren (Congress) win in Lok Sabha polls are quite perplexing.
He said : "We did not give any statement (earlier) on how it happened. That period Meitei-Kuki conflict ... very seriously happened. There were ethnic clashes...
but how in the valley all the churches were destroyed and burned"?
(This observation though came late in the day; the timing is making people raise eyebrows).
Churches were burnt down allegedly by Hindu mobs only.
Notably, Rio mentioned Assam which under his (savior for a period Himanta) had opted for anti-healing laws etc.
Rio was more specific. "These have frightened the churches ....Christians and there were atrocities also in other parts of the country. So, the (results of 2024 in Nagaland) might have surprised everybody including ourselves and as you mentioned, there was not even one Congress MLA.
"They had no proper party organisation .. they had no polling agent also".
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| Post Card: Beauty - Jotsoma village near Science College |
About so-called atrocities against Christians in the rest of India; these are generally allegations only. And more importantly, no NDA leader has spoken about it in this manner and attributing it as the cause of NDA defeat in polls.
Has the cat crawled out of the bag ???
ends
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