After the successful poll campaign in Gujarat where the BJP returned to power beating 27 years of incumbency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have now set their eyes on northeast where 4 states will go to polls next year. The two leaders have recently made a trip to the region, sounding the poll bugle.
PM Modi on Sunday attended the golden jubilee celebrations of the North Eastern Council in Meghalaya’s Shillong and inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various key initiatives worth over Rs 4,350 crores in Tripura. Shah also attended the event in Shillong.
Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister highlighted the ‘shift in the mindset’ of the workings of the Centre and said his government has shown a ‘Red Card’ to many obstacles that came in way of the northeast’s development in the last eight years.
Calling North East ‘gateway’ to security and prosperity of the country, Modi said that new opportunities are being created for the youth of North East through digital connectivity.
Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to polls early next year while Mizoram will see Assembly elections in December 2023. Here’s a look at the position of the BJP and other parties in these states.
TRIPURA
The BJP swept power in Tripura winning 35 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections. But the difference of vote margin between the BJP and its challenger Left was less than 2% in the 60-member Assembly. The BJP replaced Biplab Deb as chief minister with Manik Saha, a strategy it has used in several other states to beat anti-incumbency. The party has recently rejigged the organization at the state level, setting up 30 panels to take care of poll duties.
The BJP ties with its key ally — tribal outfit Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) have strained and a decision has not been taken yet if their alliance would continue. Besides the Congress, the Left and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the BJP also faces a threat from Tipra Motha which had secured a landslide victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Meghalaya
In 2018, Congress emerged as the single largest party but failed to secure majority in 60-member assembly. The BJP, which won only 2 seats, joined hands with the National People’s Party (NPP) to form the government in the state. But this time, NPP supremo and chief minister Conrad Sangma announced his party would contest 2023 election alone.
Trinamool Congress, which failed to open account in last polls, is also trying to make inroads in Meghalaya. TMC president Mamata Banerjee and her party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited the state for a 3-day trip.
Nagaland
The BJP entered into an alliance with Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) ahead of 2018 Nagaland polls and formed the government. The BJP is planning to field candidates in 20 constituencies and support NDPP candidates in 40 others in the 2023 elections, according to India Today.
Last month, three district presidents of Nagaland BJP switched over to the Janata Dal (United). Another headache of the BJP-led alliance is the demand of a separate state by seven tribes by carving out 16 districts of Nagaland.
Mizoram
In October this year, Mizoram BJP chief Vanlalhmuaka announced that his party will contest from all 40 assembly seats in Mizoram in 2023 election. At present, Mizo National Front government is in power. Zoramthanga-led party won 26 out of the 40 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections and decimated the Congress to 5. The BJP also opened its account in Mizoram for the first time in 2018. The MNF is a part of both NDA at Centre and the BJP-led NEDA in the region.
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