Kohima: Five MLAs from the National People's Party officially defected to the Naga People's Front on October 1. The move signals a shift in the 14th House of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. These members include A. Nyamnyei Konyak of Moka, Nuklutoshi of Arkakong, C. Kipili Sangtam of Seyochung-Sitimi, Dr. Tseilhoutuo Rhutso of Kohima Town, and Benei M. Lamthiu of Thonoknyu.
The merger occurred in Dimapur. Party leadership and senior officials oversaw the proceedings. The lawmakers presented themselves to NLA Speaker Sharingain Longkumer shortly after. They submitted all required documentation to finalize the switch.
The legislators claim they joined voluntarily. They cited faith in Chief Minister and NPF President Dr. Neiphiu Rio. They also pledged support for the party's core ideology. Dr. Rio welcomed the new recruits into the fold. He called the decision a “welcome step” for the regional force. He believes this move strengthens the party's representation of Naga identity.
This is the third time the NPF has absorbed outside groups recently. Last October, 31 members from the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party moved to the NPF. On July 11, the Rising People's Party also completed a merger with the organization.
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 9:47am
The merger received official validation from the Speaker through a notification issued on October 1. The paperwork complied with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and the 2019 rules regarding anti-defection laws. NPF adviser and secretary general Achumbemo Kikon also attended the Dimapur proceedings alongside party leadership.
This political maneuvering brings the NPF tally to 39 seats in the 60-member Assembly, while the BJP remains at 12. These shifts reset the political math in Nagaland as the state tracks toward the 2028 Assembly elections.
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 1:50pm
The move faced immediate pushback from the National People's Party. NPP national vice-president Vevoyi D. Vadeo blasted the maneuver as poaching, pointing out that the five lawmakers secured their seats in the 2023 election under the NPP banner. Vadeo confirmed the party is now reviewing the Assembly notification and weighing legal options under the Tenth Schedule.
Official records from the Assembly Secretariat specify that the merger falls under Paragraph 4(2) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Following the shift, the breakdown of the 60-member house includes 39 NPF members and 12 from the BJP. Two seats each are held by the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Republican Party of India (Athawale), with the Janata Dal (United) holding one seat and four remaining as Independents.
Updated at 3rd October 2026 at 1:48am
NPP national vice-president Vevoyi D. Vadeo dismissed the term merger, calling it a thin veil for power-grabbing. He argued that the five legislators were elected on an NPP ticket with party workers and that the mandate remains with the voters who supported the party in 2023. Vadeo labeled the maneuver a warning to other partners in the opposition-less assembly, noting that while other parties like the BJP and LJP maintain their standing, no partner is safe from the NPF's reach.
Vadeo challenged the ethics of the shift, stating, "A merger is a decision of two parties. What happened today is the taking of five men who won on the NPP ticket, with NPP workers, on an NPP vote." He asserted that the NPF is using the opposition-less framework to hunt coalition partners and suggested the party is chasing numbers instead of addressing governance failures or the Naga political issue. The NPP has confirmed it is reviewing the notification and will pursue legal remedies under the Tenth Schedule to fight the reclassification of the defection.
Updated at 3rd October 2026 at 9:52pm
Vadeo pointed to recent data from the Association for Democratic Reforms, which flagged Nagaland for having the highest rate of legislators jumping ship among states surveyed. The report identifies the NPF as the biggest gainer nationally, a trend largely driven by the previous absorption of NDPP members in 2025.
The NPP vice-president didn't mince words on the optics of the shift. He claimed the NPF is using the opposition-less house setup as a cover to hunt for members rather than tackling actual governance or the Naga political issue, stating, "Headcount is not performance." The party is now digging into the formal notification to see if they can drag the merger back into court under the Tenth Schedule, dismissing the official stamp as a hollow gesture. "A poaching does not turn clean because a paper has been issued," Vadeo added.
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