Will stake claim to form government in Nagaland: BJP

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday that his party would stake claim to form the next government in Nagaland in the next couple of days.

The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state.

"NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have support of 1 independent and 1 JD(U) member, that takes us to 32 seats. We are in a comfortable position to form next govt. NDPP-BJP alliance will stake its claim to form govt in next couple of days," Ram Madhav said.

G Kaito Aye, the JD(U) nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum are reported to have expressed their wish to join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its numbers to 31.

The BJP-NDPP combine has won 29 seats (BJP 12, NDPP 17). The NPP of Conrad Sangma, an NEDA partner of the BJP, has won two seats and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) one.

The NPF is the single largest party in the House with 27 seats.

The BJP got an informal invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang to join the new government, PTI reported earlier.

The BJP had parted ways with the NPF just ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly-launched NDPP of three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, also an old NPF hand.

(With inputs from PTI)