Trends for Nagaland Assembly election results 2018 show a neck and neck contest between the ruling Nagaland People's Front (NPF) and Nationalist Democratic People's Party (NDPP)-BJP alliance. Counting of votes is underway at 349 tables across 17 centres in Nagaland.

After staying behind for some time, the NPF moved ahead of the NDPP-BJP alliance a while ago. But according to the latest report from Nagaland, the NDFP-BJP alliance was leading at 28 seats, the NPF was leading at 27 places. The Congress was in lead at one seat while others were ahead at two places.

Nagaland presents a complex political maze where the BJP is on both sides of power divide. Going into the Nagaland Assembly election 2018, the BJP had two ministers in the government while it announced breaking ties with ruling NPF.

Chief Minister TR Zeliang did not sack the BJP ministers saying that the saffron party leaders "requested" him to let the understanding continue. On the other hand, the BJP entered into an alliance with former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Rio's newly formed party.

NAGALAND ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS 2018: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POLITICS OF STATE LIVE RESULTS

The BJP has emerged as the key power mover in Nagaland. It is in alliance with both the NPF and the NDPP. The NPF is part of the BJP-led regional coalition, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), on the lines of the National Democratic Alliance at Centre. This alliance continues to stay afloat. Meanwhile, the BJP stitched another alliance with the NDPP of Rio. As per electoral understanding, the NDPP was to contest 40 seats while the BJP got 20 seats in Nagaland. Votes were cast on 59 seats in Nagaland Assembly election 2018 on February 27. Rio had been declared uncontested from his Northern Angami-II Assembly constituency. The BJP has been expanding its base in Nagaland. In 2013, the BJP had contested on 11 seats and won just one. However, three of the NCP MLAs defected to join the party. There are eight Independent MLAs in the outgoing Nagaland Assembly. On the other hand, the Congress that had won eight seats five years ago lost other the MLAs to the NPF, whose tally went up to 45 in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly. This merger made the BJP second largest party in Nagaland Assembly with JD-U (with ruling alliance) and NCP (in Opposition) having one legislator each in the House. Former Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was with the NPF till about one and a half months ago. In mid-January, he quit the NPF and formed the Nationalist Democratic People's Party (NDPP). The fortunes of his new party depend on the personal popularity of Rio in Nagaland. Rio is so confident of the NDPP-BJP alliance's performance that he resigned from the Lok Sabha earlier this week. NPF leader TR Zeliang is the chief minister of the state since 2014 except for a brief period of five months last year. Within NPF, Zeliang and Shurhozelie Liezietsu are two power centres. While Zeliang is the chief minister, Lieziestsu is the president of the ruling NPF. Facing challenge from the NDPP-BJP alliance, Zeliang had recently said that the tie-up with the BJP was not over. "We have not closed the doors because our partnership still continues as presently also there are two ministers and one adviser to the chief minister of the BJP in the NPF-led DAN government," Zeliang said few days ago. The BJP's dual understanding with Zeliang and Rio has kept it in the power equation of Nagaland, almost independent of today's Assembly election results. If the NDPP of Rio wins in alliance with the BJP, the saffron party becomes part of the next government in Nagaland. If Zeliang sails his PPF through, the BJP, by chief minister's own admission, may continue to be part of the government. The Congress seems to be the biggest loser in this game of thrones. The Congress failed to put up candidates in more than two-thirds of the seats for Nagaland Assembly election 2018. Only 18 Congress candidates contested Nagaland Assembly election 2018. It has given three chief ministers - Hokishe Sema, K L Chishi and SC Jamir - to Nagaland. The Congress had fielded 58 candidates five years ago.

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