Litmus test for JD(U)

In a classic U-turn, the state unit of the Janata Dal(United) has expressed its willingness to act as the opposition in the state through its lone MLA, if the national leadership of the party so desired. This comes seven months after the state unit of the JD(U) decided to flock with the ‘oppositionless government’ and paid the consequences. It may be recalled that the Nagaland unit of the Janata Dal(United) was suspended on March 9, 2023 after the unit president NSN Lotha along with the party’s lone and first-time MLA Jwenga Seb, allegedly met with chief minister Neiphiu Rio with a letter pledging support to the ‘oppositionless government’ under NDPP-BJP. This was not taken too kindly when JD(U) national general secretary and also JD(U) in-charge of north east Afaque Ahmad Khan, slammed the action as arbitrary as the decision to back the NDPP-BJP was done without consulting the party’s national leadership. JD(U) high command had sent a strong message that there cannot be ambiguity with its policy of being totally opposed to the BJP and also since the party is an important component of the opposition bloc INDIA. Seven months after it was punished by the JD(U) high command for betraying the party to have truck with a government where BJP is a major partner, the state unit was re-instated on August 23. It is not known as to what the condition(s) were for re-instating the suspended state unit but a clue arose on October 7 when re-instated state JD(U) president NSN Lotha told media that the state unit was not averse to playing the role of opposition if the party high command so desires and directs. If the party high command does so, then the JD(U) unit and its lone MLA will have to come out of the umbrella of the ‘oppositionless government’. The moot point is whether the state unit and its MLA will be on the same page?. Also, to be an effective opposition voice requires conviction and willingness to take a stand when it matters even if it goes against the ‘oppositionless government’ that has 59 MLAs and many influential leaders of society who, due to unbroken reign of power, are inclined towards the ruling dispensation. If anything, Nagaland can at least boast of having constitutionalised/institutionalised the phenomenon of ‘opposotionless government’ or in other words, an all-party treasury bench in the highest forum of people- Nagaland Legislative Assembly. This means all 60 MLAs are part of the government This has happened thrice in the state’s political history. The first was in 2015 when eight Congress joined the NPF government then subsequently merged with the regional party. The second was sometime in July 2021, when the entire opposition NPF decided to be part of the ‘oppositionless government’. The third and current ‘oppositionless government’ came into existence on March 12,2023 when all political parties- NCP(7), NPP(5), LJP (Ram Vilas- 2), Naga People’s Front (NPF-2) and RPI (Athawale-2), JD(U-1) and Independents(4) resolved to support the NDPP(25)-BJP(12) government under Neiphiu Rio and thus, continuing with the third ‘oppositionless government’ in Nagaland. It now remains to be seen if the state JD(U) will end the phenomenon of ‘oppositionless government’ or may have bitten off more than it can chew.