Nagaland: NPF’s financial base expands after merger with NDPP

Reports Rs 95 lakh in contributions; no donors listed in above-Rs 20,000 categoryMoa JamirDimapur | October 17The Naga People’s Front (NPF) reported a financial base of Rs 6.98 crore in its first audited accounts following its merger with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).For the financial year 2025–26, the NPF’s submission of its Annual Audit Report to the Election Commission of India (ECI) recorded Rs 95 lakh in voluntary contributions and a deficit of Rs 1.44 crore in the combined accounts.The two parties merged on October 21, 2025, and the ECI formally recognised the merger in May 2026.As of March 31, 2026, the merged party had a capital fund of Rs 3.99 crore, liabilities of Rs 2.99 crore, and cash and bank balances of Rs 23.97 lakh.The liabilities include Rs 2,99,05,776 payable to Apex Motor Enterprise, the same amount recorded against the firm in NDPP’s separate 2024–25 audit.The party’s total expenditure in 2025–26 stood at Rs 2.39 crore, comprising Rs 1.22 crore in employee costs and Rs 1.18 crore in other expenses. Depreciation accounted for Rs 1.03 crore of the expenditure.The separate pre-merger audits for 2024–25 showed different financial positions. NPF reported a deficit of Rs 7.71 lakh, with members’ contributions and subscriptions of Rs 4.85 lakh. NDPP reported voluntary contributions of Rs 6.42 lakh and a deficit of Rs 2.76 crore.At the end of 2024–25, NPF had a capital fund of Rs 1.42 crore and cash and cash equivalents of Rs 1.30 lakh. NDPP reported a capital fund of Rs 4.01 crore and cash and cash equivalents of Rs 64.64 lakh.The merged audit carried forward the opening capital accounts of both parties before accounting for the year’s deficit of Rs 1.44 crore. The audit notes that the combined figures may not be directly comparable with NPF’s standalone accounts for the previous year.Contributions sole source of incomeThe merged NPF audit recorded Rs 95 lakh in voluntary contributions as the party’s sole income for 2025–26, with no income reported from interest or miscellaneous receipts.Against this, the party recorded total expenditure of Rs 2.39 crore, resulting in a deficit of Rs 1.44 crore.The party also began the financial year with combined cash and bank balances of Rs 65.94 lakh, carried forward from the opening accounts of NPF and NDPP. These balances were not fresh income for the year. After payments, the party had Rs 23.97 lakh in cash and bank balances as of March 31, 2026.The difference between total expenditure and cash payments is largely explained by depreciation, a non-cash accounting expense. Of the Rs 2.39 crore in total expenditure, Rs 1.03 crore was attributed to depreciation, while cash payments were approximately Rs 1.37 crore.No donors listed in above-Rs 20,000 categoryIncidentally, despite voluntary contributions being the NPF’s sole source of income in 2025–26, its Contribution Report for 2025–26 (Form 24A) lists no contributors in the category of donations exceeding Rs 20,000.The party’s audit records Rs 95 lakh in voluntary contributions during the year, but the disclosure does not identify any donors in this category or provide details that would allow the public to trace the source of this income.The pattern is not confined to the latest financial year, as NPF’s Form 24A disclosures for 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 also contain no named contributors in the above-Rs 20,000 category.NDPP’s pre-merger disclosures present a different picture, listing contributions totalling Rs 1.21 crore (Rs 50.99 lakh and Rs 70.77 lakh) from two enterprises in 2022–23, and another Rs 11 lakh in 2023–24. However, its Form 24A for 2024-25 listed NIL in the above-Rs 20,000 category.NPF and NDPP: Pre-and post-merger audit comparisonFinancial indicatorNPF standalone (2024–25)NDPP standalone (2024–25)Merged NPF (2025–26)Income/contributionsRs 4.85 lakh*   Rs 7.01 lakh**Rs 95.00 lakhTotal expenditure Rs 12.56 lakhRs 2.83 croreRs 2.39 croreDeficitRs 7.71 lakhRs 2.76 croreRs 1.44 croreCapital fund/reserves Rs 1.42 croreRs 4.01 croreRs 3.99 croreCurrent liabilities        Rs 20,000Rs 2.99 croreRs 2.99 croreFixed assetsRs 1.41 croreRs 6.36 croreRs 6.74 croreCash and bank balancesRs 1.30 lakhRs 64.64 lakhRs 23.97 lakh* Represents members’ contributions and subscriptions. ** 6.42 lakh in voluntary contributions, Rs 2,735 in interest and Rs 56,083 in miscellaneous receipts.