Naga People's Front
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2017) |
Naga People's Front | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | NPF |
| Leader | Kuzholuzo Nienu |
| President | Apong Pongener |
| Founder | Neiphiu Rio |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Kohima,Nagaland |
| Ideology | Conservative Christianity[1]
Minority rights[2] Regionalism Naga nationalism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Dark blue and Red |
| ECIStatus | State Party[3] |
| Alliance | NDA(2017-present) (National Level) andNEDA(2017-Present) |
| Seats inLok Sabha | 0 / 543 |
| Seats inRajya Sabha | 0 / 245 |
| Seats inNagaland Legislative Assembly Seats in NagalandUrban Local Bodies | 2 / 60
13 / 278 |
| Seats inManipur Legislative Assembly | 5 / 60 |
| Election symbol | |
 | |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| NagaPeoplesFront.org | |
TheNaga People's Front(NPF) is aregional political partyinNagaland,ManipurandArunachal Pradesh.It headed the Nagaland government with theBharatiya Janata Party,as part of theDemocratic Alliance of Nagalandfrom 2003 to 2018. NPF is coalition partner ofN. Biren Singh ministryledBJPgovernment inManipur.The party ideology includesConservative Christianity,thus encouraging it.[4]It demands and supports greater autonomy for Naga areas and Naga cultural Nationalism.
Apong Pongener is the President of the party.[1]Awangbow Newmaiis State unit President of the party in Manipur whileLosii Dikhois the Legislature Party Leader of NPF inManipur Legislative Assembly.Neiphiu Rio,the Lok Sabha member from thelone constituency of Nagalandwas the leader of the party till 16 January 2018.[5]T. R. Zeliangbecame the party leader till April 29, 2022. The current party leader isKuzholuzo Nienu.
On 22 March 2004, the NPF absorbed theNagaland Democratic Party.
History
[edit]Prior to October 2002, the party was known asNagaland People's Council(NPC).[6]The name of the party was changed from Nagaland People's Council (NPC) to Naga People's Front (NPF) in the Ninth General Convention held at Kohima in October 2002. This historic decision found wide acceptance among the people of the state, as a popular wish of the state was to modify the leadership of the state and make it more inclusive.
In Nagaland, both the ruling Naga People's Front and the opposition party, theUPA,supportedPranab Mukherjeeduring the 2012 presidential election. Mukherjee held a meeting with Neiphiu Rio and DAN legislators inDimapurwhere NPF leaders formally endorsed their support.
Mukherjee won the election on 19 July 2012. When theNagaland Postasked the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio whether the support extended to the presidential candidate was also "issue based" as the NPF-led DAN was supporting the UPA government at the centre on the same line, the Chief Minister said that his party was supporting the UPA and hence it was the right perspective that the DAN legislators also support UPA’s presidential nominee. NPF's main opposition in the legislative assembly is theIndian National Congressparty.
Although the Naga People's Front has local arrangements with theNDAit previously had not support either the NDA or theUPAin thecentral government[7]where it has one MP in theLok Sabha.[8]
For the 2014 General Election, the North-East Regional Political Front (NERPF), a consortium of 10 regional parties, including the Naga People's Front announced their support for the NDA.[9]
Currently, the NPF is a part ofNorth-East Regional Political Frontconsisting of political parties of the northeast which has supported theNational Democratic Alliance (India).
On 11 May 2015, all of the assembly's Congress MLAs joined the NPF.[10]
Forty-six MLAs from the 60 memberNagaland Legislative Assemblyare from the NPF. The opposition, Congress, is represented by 18 MLAs and the rest of the assembly consists of seven independent MLAs.
In May 2016, after theBharatiya Janata PartyledNational Democratic Allianceformed its first government inAssam,a new alliance called theNorth-East Democratic Alliance(NEDA) was formed withHimanta Biswa Sarmaas its convener. The Chief Ministers of the north eastern states ofSikkim,Assam,Arunachal PradeshandNagalandtoo belong to this alliance. Thus, the Naga People's Front joined the BJP led NEDA. On 18 May 2019, NPF pulled out of NDA Government in Manipur.[11]After2022 Manipur Legislative Assembly election,NPF rejoined NDA Government in Manipur.[12]
On October 21, 2023 Apong Pongener was elected as President of Naga People's Front.[2]
In June 2024, the NPF reaffirmed its support for the BJP government inManipur.[13]
Aims and objectives
[edit]The aims and objectives of the Naga Peoples Front are:
- To work and assist in any possible manner on any approach for a peaceful solution of the Indo-Naga political issue, keeping alive at the same time the fire of relentless endeavour to stand against any force to further divide theNagasand thereby move towards a renaissance of Naga brotherhood by making constant appeal to Naga conscience.
- To strive to bring about electoral reforms suited to our way of life aimed at a national resurgence in the society towards whom the Party is duty bound and thereby to liberate the Naga society from the deadly clutches of degeneration.
- To work for unity and integrity of the people by integrating all contiguous Naga inhabited areas under one administrative roof and also to provide protection to all the ethnic groups who are indigenous inhabitants of the State.
- To restore the good name and clean image which the Nagas enjoyed in the past by taking the fight against all forms of corruption at all levels of Government.
- To restore to the people the self-discipline and the spirit of self-reliance which the Nagas had in abundance in the past but which have been seriously eroded in the recent past.
- To work for economic advancement of the people with special emphasis on rural development with a view to removing economic disparity in the society.
- To strive for a clean and efficient administration.
- To strictly abide by the Rule of Law in the dispensation of Justice.
List of chief ministers
[edit]| No | Name | Portrait | Term of office[14] | Days in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neiphiu Rio |  |
6 March 2003 | 3 January 2008 | 4 years, 306 days |
| (1) | Neiphiu Rio |  |
12 March 2008 | 24 May 2014 | 6 years, 73 days |
| 2 | T. R. Zeliang |  |
24 May 2014 | 22 February 2017 | 2 years, 274 days |
| 3 | Shürhozelie Liezietsu |  |
22 February 2017 | 19 July 2017 | 147 days |
| (2) | T. R. Zeliang |  |
19 July 2017 | 8 March 2018 | 232 days |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"NPF appeals to Church against saffron surge in Nagaland".The Times of India.20 July 2017.
- ^"Withdraw Uniform Civil Code to protect nation: Naga People's Front leader Kuzholuzo Nienu".
NPF leader Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu said that a bill like UCC, "which disregards the sentiments, beliefs and values of the minority communities of the country, should not live to see the light of the day".
- ^"List of Political Parties and Election Symbols main Notification Dated 18.01.2013"(PDF).India: Election Commission of India. 2013.Retrieved9 May2013.
- ^"NPF appeals to Church against saffron surge in Nagaland".The Times of India.20 July 2017.
- ^"Sixteenth Lok Sabha Nagaland".Lok Sabha.Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2014.Retrieved2 September2014.
- ^Dr Tapan, Das (21 August 2019)."Regionalism and Political Party in North-East India: A Case Study of Naga People's Front"(PDF).International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention.8(9): 6.Retrieved28 February2021.
- ^Northeast MPs divided over n-deal – Newindpress.com[permanent dead link]
- ^"Sixteenth Lok Sabha Party-wise All Members".Lok Sabha.Archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2015.Retrieved2 September2014.
- ^"Northeast front backs NDA".The Hindu.16 May 2014.Retrieved25 August2018.
- ^"Nagaland Congress MLAs to explain move to join NPF – India News".The Times of India.11 May 2015.Retrieved14 March2021.
- ^"Amit Shah holds meeting with northeast CMs, forms alliance".Hindustan Times.25 May 2016.
- ^"Except NPF no other parties to be included in Govt, says Manipur CM | Nagaland Post".24 March 2022.Retrieved15 January2023.
- ^"NPF reaffirms support to BJP".The Times of India.7 June 2024.
- ^"General Information, Nagaland".Information & Public Relations department, Nagaland government. Archived fromthe originalon 8 May 2015.Retrieved3 September2014.