Taditui Rangkau Zeliang, the former chief minister of Nagaland, took to Twitter on May 18 to announce that the Naga People’s Front (NPF) had decided in principle to pull out our four NPF MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Manipur, as soon as the Lok Sabha Polls ended.
Zeliang wrote, “After an intense deliberation and review meeting with the party functionaries and the NPF MLAs of Manipur State, the NPF party has decided in principle to pull out our 4 NPF MLAs from the BJP led Govt. in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh soon after the LS election is completed.”
He further added, “This decision at this juncture is necessitated due to the indifferent attitude of the BJP towards us, its coalition partner in Manipur and also in the State of Nagaland. Further implementation of this decision will be finalised after the Election process.”
After an intense deliberation and review meeting with the party functionaries and the NPF MLAs of Manipur State, the NPF party has decided in principle to pull out our 4 NPF MLAs from the BJP led Govt. in Manipur headed by N Biren Singh soon after the LS election is completed.
— TR Zeliang (@TRZeliang) May 18, 2019
This decision at this juncture is necessitated due to the indifferent attitude of the BJP towards us, its coalition partner in Manipur and also in the State of Nagaland. Further implementation of this decision will be finalised after the Election process.
— TR Zeliang (@TRZeliang) May 18, 2019
Also Read: Trouble for BJP: Manipur Ally NPF to Review Ties, Says BJP ‘Looks Down’ on Alliance Partners
Earlier, contending that the BJP does not pay heed to its ideas and suggestions, the NPF had convened a meeting of its leaders to decide if it would continue to stay in the coalition or withdraw support. The BJP had said that it had extended all possible facilities to its partners to ensure smooth functioning of the government. Ch Bijoy, the spokesperson of the BJP, said the NPF had maintained that it did not want any ministerial berth while joining the alliance, but now it seems the party has several demands.
“The allegations made by the NPF are totally baseless and unfounded. All possible facilities have been provided to our coalition partners for smooth functioning of the government,” he had added.
Awangbou Newmai, the state unit chief of the NPF had told PTI that the BJP “looks down” on its alliance partners. “The BJP has never respected the spirit of the alliance since the formation of government in 2016. There have been instances when their leaders have refused to consider our members as alliance partners,” he said, without elaborating.
The NPF has four MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.
(With PTI inputs)