In a major political development, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has decided that his party will not play the role of opposition in Nagaland and it accepts the leadership of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the state where BJP is NDPP’s ally.

However, there is no clarification if the NCP will be a part of the government or will only support the government from outside. The move is significant and is likely to have political implications in Maharashtra where NCP is in alliance with Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena.

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The move comes after the Nagaland unit of the NCP and the victorious 7 MLAs of the party opined to support the government in the “larger interest of the state”. The step comes days after the party’s national general secretary and Northeast in-charge Narendra Verma told ANI over the phone that the party was mulling putting forth a proposal for the post of the leader of Opposition in Nagaland Assembly.

According to a release dated March 8 by Verma, the first meeting of the NCP Legislature Party took place on March 4 at Kohima.

“In the said meeting there was a discussion on who is going to be the leader of the NCP Legislature Party, The Deputy Leader, Chief Whip, Whip and Spokesperson, the release said.

Er Picto Shohe was decided to be the Leader of the NCP Legislature Party, P Longon as Dy. Leader of the NCP Legislature Party, Namri Nchang as Chief Whip, Y Mhonbemo Humtsoe as Whip and S. Toiho Yeptho as the Spokesperson, according to the release.

“There was also discussion regarding whether the NCP is going to be part of the government or going to play the role of the main opposition party. The local newly elected MLAs & the NCP Local unit of Nagaland were of the opinion that we must be part of the government which is going to be headed by N Rio, Chief of (NDPP) Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party & Chief Minister of Nagaland in the larger interest of the State of Nagaland and our own good relationship with N Rio,” the release said.

The final decision was left to Sharad Pawar, who on Tuesday after listening to the North East in-charge, took the decision to accept the leadership of N Rio.
“And subsequently he also cleared the proposed list of NCP Legislature Party Leader and his team,” the release said.

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was on Tuesday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, BJP President JP Nadda and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma witness the oath-taking ceremony in Kohima.

Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and Yanthungo Patton also took oath as Deputy chief ministers of Nagaland.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance retained power in the Nagaland election, with the two parties having secured 37 seats in the 60-member assembly, as per the data by the Election Commission of India (ECI).