The Election Commission has approved the merger of the Nationalistic Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) with the Naga People’s Front (NPF), enabling the unified party to function as a single political entity.
“The Commission has scrutinised the relevant documents and is satisfied that the requirements under law have been complied with. The merger now stands recognised for electoral and organisational purposes,” an ECI official said.
The merger follows a resolution adopted at the NDPP’s general convention last year to dissolve the party and merge with the NPF. The move reunites Nagaland’s two regional formations that split in 2017 after internal differences within the NPF. The NDPP formed in May 2017 by a group led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio after disagreements over leadership, organisational control and the party’s approach to governance and alliance strategy, particularly leading up to the 2018 Assembly elections.
Reacting to the merger, MLA and NPF’s general secretary Achumbemo Kikon said: “With the communication from the ECI, we have become a larger family. The responsibility is greater, and we must act as a bridge between the government and the grassroots.”