With NPF not in order at home, speculation over Rio's return goes viral
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, June 25 2014:
Speculations are rife again that Neiphiu Rio may return to State politics even as Nagaland Chief Minister T.R.Zeliang faces strong resentments from various quarters for not accommodating certain MLAs in his Government.
Sources informed Newmai News Network that Neiphiu Rio's intention to return to the State politics has been compelled by the prevailing situation within the Naga People's Front (NPF) where expressions of discontentment among the party leaders are becoming more vocal by the day.
However, to confirm these reports from Neiphiu Rio proved futile.
Yesterday, twin bombs planted by unidentified persons rocked the NPF Mokokchung division office.
On June 23, the Central NPF had dissolved the NPF Mokokchung division as the resentment among the NPF workers have become prominent following non-inclusion of two former Ministers, Imchen I Imkong and Merentoshi R Jamir, in the T.R.Zeliang Government.
Meanwhile, according to the sources, since T.R.Zeliang has no grip over NPF MLAs from all corners of this ethnic filled Nagaland, the intervention of Neiphiu Rio has become a matter of urgency to save the NPF and the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government.
Sources also said that NPF MLAs from the ENPO region i.e.the four districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire listen only to Neiphiu Rio.
The voices of discontentment among the NPF legislators if not contained soon, may lead to the end of the NPF led Government in Nagaland, sources added.
Another reason of likely return of Rio to the State politics is the possibility of him leaving out again in the next cabinet expansion of the Narendra Modi-led NDA Govt at the Centre.
The talk today among the Naga society is that if Rio is not given a Union ministerial berth at all then the next move of Rio is to return to the State politics.
Going by the records, most of the Members of Parliament (MPs) of Nagaland returned to state politics after their short stints in the national capital.
S.C Jamir, CM Chang, Wangyu Konyak and the present Chief Minister T.R Zeliang re-entered the state politics after a term or two in the Parliament.
The game may be the same for Rio is the hot speculation today that is going viral.
However, hope among the Naga civil society leaders of Rio getting a Union ministerial berth in the next expansion of Modi government is yet to die down.
Aides of Rio are still confident regarding the former Nagaland Chief Minister getting inducted in the Modi Ministry.