Dimapur, September 6 (MExN): Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) President Chingwang Konyak has convened a meeting of the party's Central Executive Board (CEB) on September 12 at 11:00 am in the conference hall of the NDPP Central Headquarters, Kohima.
A notice issued by the NDPP President asked all members of the Central Executive Board to attend the meeting "positively."
The development comes as the Naga People's Front (NPF), during its Central Executive Council (CEC) meeting on September 6, made a formal appeal to Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio and other "like minded" legislators to rejoin the party.
Meanwhile, NDPP Senior Vice President Charlie Sekhose and Treasurer John Murry addressed a press conference on September 6 and said that the Chief Minister is technically the founder of both the NPF and the NDPP.
Responding to queries on speculations of a merger with the NPF under the 'cock' symbol, Sekhose said that since the NPF CEC meeting is ongoing, "based on their meeting the NDPP will take the next step."
On whether Dr Rio could rejoin the NPF, the NDPP leaders reiterated, "Rio is a founder of both NPF and NDPP. We will discuss after the NPF resolution comes officially."
On comments made by BJP Nagaland President and Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton that the BJP should contest all 60 assembly constituencies, the NDPP leaders said, "That is their party and we are in seat arrangement right now. We will discuss such things in the higher level. There are no cracks in the alliance with the BJP. The PDA alliance is intact. We respect individual comments but too early to speculate and these things will be talked about at the higher levels."
They further stated that there have been consistent calls from senior leaders for Rio to "bury differences and come together," adding that the discussions have been mutual with "no conditions on the merger of the two parties."
"Politics is always evolving and the decision made now is in the interest of the people and we will continue to serve the people," they said.