How did NDPP emerge as a dominant regional party in Nagaland?

Kohima: “Change is coming” was the tagline that propelled the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) into Nagaland’s political forefront. Over the past eight years, the party has led two successive governments, cementing its position as the state’s dominant regional force. However, just a decade ago, it was the Naga People’s Front (NPF)—Nagaland’s oldest regional party—that held sway.

So, how did NDPP emerge as the leading political power in Nagaland?

2017: The turning point

The political landscape in Nagaland shifted dramatically in early 2017 when the state witnessed widespread unrest over the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections which allowed 33% reservation for women. Protests erupted across the state, with tribal bodies, hohos, and various organisations opposing the polls.

Amid the violence in late January that year, two were killed, several injured and various government buildings were burned down. The state machinery came to a standstill for several weeks, as organisations called for the closing down of all Government offices and banned the plying of all Government vehicles during this period.

With the crisis escalating, the government declared the 2017 ULB election process null and void. This turmoil led to a political vacuum, creating an opportunity for new leadership to emerge. Then Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang was forced to resign in February and was succeeded by NPF chief Shürhozelie Liezietsu as the new chief minister.

It was against this backdrop that NDPP was formed on May 17, 2017, in Chümoukedima.

Within nine months of its formation, the party faced its first election, and since then, it has become the dominant political force in the state.

“The Party was formed as a response to the cry of the people for a change and an alternative in Nagaland, under an environment of political instability, social unrest and governance challenges,” Abu Metha, NDPP secretary general said as he addressed the party’s 5th general convention on February 27, 2025, at Capital Cultural Hall in Kohima.

A journey of victories

In January 2018, then Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio quit the NPF and joined the NDPP, just ahead of the state elections. The NDPP, in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, won 17 and 12 seats respectively in the February state polls. By March, the coalition formed the government and Rio was elected as Chief Minister for the fourth time.

In August 2021, an opposition-less government was formed after the opposition party NPF joined hands with the ruling coalition, citing the need for a united approach to the ongoing Naga political issue.

In April 2022, 21 NPF MLAs merged with the Rio-led NDPP party, increasing the strength of the NDPP legislators to 42. Once a dominant regional political party, NPF began to lose its foothold in the state legislative assembly.

As the NDPP-BJP pre-poll alliance continued in the 2023 state assembly elections, the NDPP won 25 seats and the BJP secured 12, bringing their total to 37 in the 60-member House. Rio was elected as the chief minister for the fifth time following the polls.

The party made history when both of its women candidates-Salhoutuonuo Kruse and Hekani Jakhalu emerged victorious. NDPP’s Kruse secured a cabinet berth, making her the first female minister in the state of Nagaland, and Jakhalu, on the other hand, was appointed as an adviser to the Department of Industries and Commerce.

Subsequently, other political parties extended support to the NDPP-BJP, leading to the formation of another opposition-less government.

2024 shocker: A costly lesson

Despite the opposition-less government led by the NDPP, the 2024 Lok Sabha election outcome came as an unexpected blow for the party when Congress candidate Supongmeren Jamir won the poll against NDPP’s Chumben Murry.

CM Rio, while addressing the party’s 5th convention acknowledged that at a time when the NDPP boasted of being at the peak of its political influence, the party lost the parliamentary election.

Rio admitted that the 2024 Lok Sabha election result was a shock for the opposition-less government, as the all-party alliance in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly failed to secure the seat against the Congress, a party with no elected representative in the state Assembly.

He said the party was overconfident and complacent. He however described the setback as an “ideological defeat” rather than a political one. Rio termed the loss as a “costly lesson” for the party.

“In politics, every election is both a battle and a lesson,” NDPP president Chingwang Konyak said. According to the party chief, religious politics impacted the outcome of the parliamentary poll. “A major concern was the spread of misinformation and propaganda, which attempted to create religious and ethnic division,” he added.

To this, he said that faith is a personal issue and the mixture of politics and religion must be “frowned upon as a deadly sin”.

A comeback with women’s reservation

After the 2024 Lok Sabha election downfall, the party made a comeback as for the first time the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections were conducted across the state sans six districts in the eastern part of the state.

Under pressure from the Supreme Court, the state government unanimously passed the Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023 in November, mandating 33% of women’s reservations in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Despite delays, the ULB elections were peacefully conducted in June 2024. The NDPP emerged as the clear winner, securing 153 out of 278 seats contested.

A total of 198 women contested, with 102 emerging victorious, including eight who won from unreserved (general) wards. With the conduct of the ULB polls, the state witnessed the rise of women in politics in just a few years.

After the party’s loss in the Lok Sabha poll, Rio said that the civic polls came as a surprise to the party. “The people were not against our party. They voted for us,” he said.

Rio noted that women won 37% of the total contested seats across both reserved and unreserved categories. Describing this as a “pleasant surprise,” he said that, along with the two women legislators fielded by the party, this achievement has helped the NDPP create history.

He expressed hope that the issues preventing civic polls in certain districts would soon be resolved, allowing the elections to take place and paving the way for development. Rio said that the state must complete the process where polls were not held and ensure the grants lost due to non-compliance with the 74th Amendment are earned.

“Elections could not be conducted in 15 Town Councils across six districts of ENPO’S areas, but the peoples’ support for our governance remains evident. The overwhelming mandate from the people reaffirms their trust in our vision and policies. We are committed to strengthening grassroots democracy, ensuring accountability, inclusive, and effective governance at every level,” party chief Chingwang Konyak said.

Indigenous voices

CM Rio emphasised the importance of regional representation at the national level. Referring to the loss of the lone Lok Sabha seat over the Congress party, he said that an indigenous voice in the parliament is crucial for a state like Nagaland.

He acknowledged that it is disheartening for Nagaland to have no regional representation in Parliament after the regional party’s defeat.

“The NDPP is a regional party deeply rooted in our culture and heritage but we are also a party with a national outlook and global perspective. Regional because We carry the voice of our people, reflect the aspirations of the masses and will forever stand for, uphold, preserve and protect the traditions and heritage, which our fore-parents have passed down to us generation after generation,” the party’s secretary general Abu Metha said.

He added that the Naga political issue remains at the top of the party’s agenda.

“As long as the political stalemate continues, there can be no peace in Nagaland. The paramount task, therefore, for the people of Nagaland is to find a permanent solution to this problem. Therefore, I appeal to leaders of the national workers to come together and have one voice and settle the issue with the government of India without further delay,” NDPP chief Chingwang Konyak added.

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