Nagaland’s ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will hold a key meeting on September 12 to take a final decision on its proposed merger with the Naga People’s Front (NPF), party leaders confirmed on Monday. The closed-door meeting of the NDPP’s Central Executive Board is expected to be decisive in shaping the state’s political future. According to sources, senior NDPP leaders and members of its frontal organisations have already received an informal briefing on the merger proposal. The leadership has assured that any decision will be taken in line with the party’s constitutional process.
The move gained momentum after the NPF’s Central Executive Council passed a resolution on Saturday urging Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to return to the party fold. The resolution described Rio’s leadership as vital for the future of the NPF as well as for the larger interests of the Naga people. If the merger goes through, it is likely to redraw Nagaland’s political map. The NDPP, which was formed in 2017, rose to power the following year in alliance with the BJP. In the 2023 assembly elections, it secured 25 seats and later increased its tally to 32 after seven NCP legislators joined the party. The BJP, its ally in the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Alliance (PDA) government, holds 12 seats, while support from smaller parties and independents has further strengthened the coalition.
Meanwhile, the NPF—once the dominant political force in Nagaland—has been reduced to just two members in the current House. A merger with the ruling NDPP could revive its influence, while also consolidating political unity under Rio’s leadership.
