Trends, results in Nagaland may lead to big battle between Rio, Zeliang

New Delhi/Kohima, Mar 3: The trends and results in Nagaland - keenly fought chiefly by two regional parties - showed that the battle could soon turn between two staunch regional leaders T R Zeliang and Neiphiu Rio.

The NPF, which is in power in the state, is likely to retain its prominence in the state politics as it has established leads in 24 seats as against 13 by NPF's chief rival and newly floated NDPP.
The BJP has established comfortable leads in seven seats.
The battle could be now confined between Mr Rio and NPF's Chief Ministerial face T R Zeliang as numbers
did not seem to favour either. NDPP's chief ministerial face is Rio while NPF projected Mr Zeliang as their Chief Ministerial candidate.
In the entire game that way - BJP central leadership and leaders like Ram Madhav and Amit Shah and also probably Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to have a final say in deciding who could be the next Chief Minister of Nagaland.
Among the highlights from BJP's point of view, former Nagaland Chief Minister K L Chishi is likely to win from Atouizo assembly segment in remote Zunheboto district.
The BJP's importance in Nagaland politics is gaining currency as the disgruntled ally NPF, which parted ways with the saffron party in the run up to the polls, has now started reaching out to the ruling dispensation in the Centre.
NPF sources said the party is not against "realigning with BJP" as it wants a congenial atmosphere for the "ongoing political dialogue".
In the run-up to the recently-concluded Nagaland Assembly elections, the BJP and the NPF were engaged in a vitriolic verbal war. UNI