NDPP-BJP cautious on 40:20 seat sharing for 2023 assembly polls

Seat sharing between NDPP and BJP agreed in 2018 under 40 (NDPP) and 20 (BJP) is being contested in the light of the April 29 merger of 21 NPF (out of 25) with NDPP (21 MLAs).
With 21 (NDPP)+21 (NPF), the NDPP has 42 MLAs and the NDPP also acknowledges two Independent MLAs as its own. Thus, ticket aspirants for NDDP presently is 44 seats for 2023 Assembly elections.
As part of seat sharing, NDPP can claim 40 seats out of 44. That would leave out four sitting MLAs.
Such a situation is not acceptable to majority of the present NDPP who want to fight the election on the basis of ground reality.
State chief minister Neiphiu Rio continues to maintain that the alliance with BJP will continue and both parties will fight the 2023 elections together under a seat sharing formula.
NDPP does not want to upset its alliance with BJP and has committed to maintain the 2018 seat sharing formula of 40:20 with BJP.
However, since the decimation of NPF after 21 of its MLAs decamped and merged with NDPP, those in the ruling party do not see any challenger and want to win as many seats. This would mean putting up candidates in more than 45 constituencies in 2023.
On the other hand, BJP which contested 20 seats in 2018 won 12 would like to maintain the same seat sharing arrangement for 2023. By that reckoning, BJP lays claim to eight seats.
However, realising that the deal could go either way, senior BJP sources told Nagaland Post recently, that the party was even prepared to contest as many seats where its candidates have a very good chance of winning them. A senior party source even claimed that BJP is confident of winning at least 40 seats.
A national vice president of the party had recently told a local media that the party would fight the 2023 assembly elections on the basis of having winnable candidates and which means setting up more than 20 candidates as per the seat sharing arrangement with NDPP.
In the present 2018 assembly elections, NDPP and NPF fought each other in 39 constituencies (one being uncontested).
In the 2018 election out of 39 seats which NDPP contested against NPF (including other party candidates), NDPP won 17 and NPF won 19 seats.
Party sources in NDPP said the party will also consider the winnability while deciding on party candidates for 2023. However, with merger the issue would be a difficult task.
Some of the seats fiercely contested where the margin was below 100 were from the following constituencies:
Under 56 Noklak constituency NPF sitting MLA and minister P. Longon lost by the narrowest of margin by 5 votes against H. Haiying of BJP.
Under 30 Alongtaki constituency, state BJP president Temjen Ima Along won by a narrow margin of 86 votes against sitting NPF member Dr. Benjongliba.
Under 13 Pughoboto constituency, NPF sitting member Y.Vikheho Swu narrowly defeated BJP candidate Dr. Sukhakto A. Sema by 70 votes.
In 20 Meluri constituency NPF sitting member Y. Yitachu won narrowly by 74 votes against NDPP candidate Z. Nyusietho Nyuthe. In 23 Impur constituency NFP sitting member Dr. Imtiwapang narrowly defeated NPF candidate T.N. Mannen by 62 votes.
Under 46 Mon town NPF’s Thongwang Konyak narrowly defeated NDPP’s K. Kiko Konyak by 28 votes.
The tussle for seat sharing between NDPP and BJP is likely to influence another scenario where NPF, according to party sources, is not averse to any alliance with other parties including BJP.