Rio gets green-signal to contest LS polls
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Dimapur, February 03 2014:
It is almost official now that Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio is contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll from the lone Nagaland seat.
The Naga People's Front (NPF)'s 'Search Committee' has reportedly recommended Neiphiu Rio's name as the party candidate for the coming Lok Sabha poll in the lone Nagaland Parliamentary seat.
Attempts to contact the members of the NPF's 'Search Committee' proved futile by NNN tonight.
An NPF leader in Dimapur who did not want to be identified confided to Newmai News Network that since Neiphiu Rio is determined to contest the Lok Sabha election, the party this time has decided to give a go-ahead signal.
However, to confirm it officially was not possible today as the Nagaland chief minister and some Naga legislators along with the chief minister's media advisor are on an official tour to Myanmar on an invitation by the Myanmar government.
Last year, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) in which NPF is the prime constituent, had requested Neiphiu Rio to continue 'leading the state government' .
Meanwhile, sources said Rio's calculation appears that in the even of the NDA coming to power in the Centre, he is bound to get a 'dignified reciprocation' from the BJP as he has fiercely finished the Congress party honey-moon in Nagaland.
NPF is enjoying a superb rapport with the BJP.
It is worth recalling here that the speculations of Neiphiu Rio joining the national politics have been doing the round ever since The Telegraph daily made a report about it on August 2 last year.
In an interview with the National daily at New Delhi, Neiphiu Rio had stated, "We are still discussing it within the party but I would like to come to New Delhi," hinting to shift his base of politics from Nagaland to the national capital.