Senior Nagaland BJP MLA and government advisor Imkong L Imchen has urged party workers and NDPP cadres to work together at the grassroots level, warning that frequent clashes between district-level workers could undermine the coalition government’s stability. Speaking at an interaction with the Kohima Press Club at his Secretariat chamber, Imchen highlighted that while the NDPP-BJP partnership appears smooth in the capital, tensions at the district and constituency level present a different picture. “If the two coalition partners fight as if they are rivals, those in Kohima will also have sleepless nights. That is a mockery of coalition and not an honest partnership,” he said.
Imchen, a five-time MLA from Mokokchung district, said he has personally initiated efforts to bring NDPP and BJP leaders together locally. Drawing parallels with the Union government, he noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi manages the NDA with 36 coalition partners as if it were a single-party government. Similarly, he urged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to ensure the smooth functioning of the alliance in Nagaland. The NDPP-BJP coalition, formed ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections under a seat-sharing arrangement of 40 NDPP and 20 BJP seats, has since strengthened with the merger of seven NCP legislators, giving the NDPP 32 MLAs and BJP 12 MLAs, forming an opposition-less government.
Imchen emphasised that coalition politics requires compromise and a common minimum programme, noting that cultural events such as the Moatsu and Tsungremmong festivals serve as platforms to bridge differences between party workers. He also stressed the importance of the coalition in accessing Centrally Sponsored Schemes from the BJP-led government at the Centre.
