Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday acknowledged that the seven Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs in Nagaland who recently joined the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) were dissatisfied over pending work in their constituencies, which prompted their defection.
On Saturday, all seven NCP legislators formally joined the NDPP led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, raising the ruling party’s strength in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly from 25 to 32.
The move significantly bolsters the Rio government’s legislative support.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Ajit Pawar said, “These MLAs had met me two months ago expressing concern that development work in their areas was not moving forward. There was growing unease among them, which is true. They were feeling helpless and discontented.”
The seven MLAs who made the switch are Namri Nchang (Tening), Picto Shohe (Atoizu), Y Mhonbemo Humtsoe (Wokha Town), Y Mankhao Konyak (Mon Town), A Pongshi Phom (Longleng), P Longon (Noklak), and S Toiho Yeptho (Suruhoto).
The NCP had emerged as the third-largest party in the 2023 Nagaland Assembly elections, trailing behind the NDPP and its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which holds 12 seats.
Following the split in the NCP in July 2023, these Nagaland MLAs aligned with the faction led by Ajit Pawar, rather than that of party founder Sharad Pawar.
The latest political realignment shifts the balance further in favor of the NDPP-BJP alliance.
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The current composition of the Nagaland Assembly now stands at 32 NDPP, 12 BJP, five National People’s Party (NPP) MLAs, two each from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Naga People’s Front (NPF), and Republican Party of India (Athawale), one JD(U) MLA, and four Independents.
The development comes amid ongoing efforts by the NDPP-led coalition to consolidate its hold on the state’s political landscape, with cross-party collaboration and defections reshaping the power dynamics in the northeast.
