Nagaland Assembly members
Members of Nagaland Assembly and leaders of NDPP, BJP and NPF at an-all party meeting in Kohima. (File image)

The oppositionless government in Nagaland, earlier christened Nagaland United Government, will now be called the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government.

This was decided at a meeting of all the legislators and leaders of the political parties who have representation in the Nagaland Assembly at the state banquet hall in Kohima on Saturday.

The meeting of the legislators and party leaders of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), BJP and Naga People’s Front (NPF), including two Independent MLAs, unanimously resolved to adopt the nomenclature of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the oppositionless government in Nagaland.

This was said in a joint statement issued by Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, deputy chief minister Y Patton, NPF Legislature Party leader TR Zeliang, NDPP president Chingwang Konyak, NPF secretary general Achumbenmo Kikon, BJP president Temjen Imna Along and Independent MLA Tongpang Ozukum.

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The nomenclature was proposed by NDPP president Konyak and unanimously adopted by the members of the NDPP, BJP, NPF and independent MLAs.

The meeting also unanimously resolved to uphold the joint resolution signed by the three parties on August 11 and August 13.

“The nomenclature of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the Opposition-less Government in Nagaland has been unanimously resolved by the legislators and Party leaders of the @NDPPofficial, @BJP4Nagaland, NPF and Independent MLAs,” chief minister Rio tweeted after the meeting.

At a meeting at the chief minister’s official residence in Kohima on August 16, the legislators of the NDPP, BJP, NPF and Independent MLAs agreed in principle to form an all-party government under the nomenclature Nagaland United Government for the cause of the Naga political issue.

The NDPP and BJP, which are a part of the pre-poll alliance, named as the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) formed the government after securing a majority in the 2018 Assembly elections and the NPF sat in the Opposition bench.

The NDPP has 20 MLAs, BJP 12, NPF 25, besides two Independent legislators, in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly.

One seat is lying vacant following the death of NDPP MLA Toshi Wungtung.

“It has been realised by the political parties that to achieve a peaceful solution to Naga political issue the efforts and sincerity of the elected representatives towards bringing about settlement to the Naga issue is crucial, and the unity amongst them has to be paramount so as to expedite and achieve the common goal of peaceful solution to the Naga political issue,” the NDPP, BJP, NPF and two Independent MLAs said in a joint resolution on August 16.

The parties also resolved to stand together towards achieving the goal of acceptable settlement to the Naga issue.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]