‘If 'Sharad' was 'Shadab'’… AIMIM chief Owaisi hits out at NCP for backing NDPP-BJP govt in Nagaland

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed the Nationalist Congress Party and its chief Sharad Pawar after its Nagaland MLAs announced their support for Neiphiu Rio government in alliance with BJP.

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio is leading an all-party government in Nagaland for the fifth term after the NDPP-BJP coalition secured 37 out of 60 seats in the recently held Assembly election.

Owaisi hit out at the NCP saying ‘if 'Sharad' was 'Shadab' he’d be called BTeam & be an untouchable for 'seculars'. I’ve never supported BJP govt & never will but this is the 2nd time NCP supported BJP & it may not be the last."

He also took a jibe at Sharad Pawar and said, "SAHIB's supporting those who jailed his minister, Nawab Malik."

Owaisi's remark came after Northeast in-charge Narendra Verma said that Pawar decided to accept the leadership of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio "in the larger interest of the state of Nagaland".

The Nagaland NCP chief also added that Sharad Pawar had approved the proposal to go along with other political parties who backed up CM Neiphiu Rio.

A statement released by the NCP said the newly elected party MLAs and its local unit were of the opinion that the party must be a part of the government in the larger interest of the state. The statement, however, made no mention of the BJP, which won 12 seats in the election.

There are five BJP ministers in Neiphiu Rio's cabinet. He was sworn in as chief minister for a fifth term on March 7 with a Cabinet comprising seven ministers from the NDPP and five from the BJP.

The NCP had the best performance among the opposition parties, winning seven of the 12 seats it contested in the election.