BJP Strengthens Hold In Northeast; Wins Tripura & Nagaland, Set To Assist In Meghalaya

Agartala: It was a satisfying day for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) it managed to strike rich in the northeastern states.

BJP and its allies retained power in Tripura and Nagaland, while in Meghalaya the saffron party is likely to form the government with CM Conrad Sangma’s party National People’s Party (NPP).

Votes for the three state assembly elections, which were counted today, showed that BJP’s share and seats decreased in Tripura, but the Left-Congress alliance fared even worse.

TRIPURA

The BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member Tripura assembly, down from 36 in 2018. Left-Congress, striking an alliance for the first time, managed a combined 14 seats. Five years ago, CPI(M) had won 16 seats fighting alone.

TIPRA Motha emerged as a dominant force, winning 13 seats, mostly in tribal areas.

MEGHALAYA

The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) won 26 seats to fall 5 short of majority mark (31). BJP won 2 seats, Congress 5, and others 25 – including United Democratic Party’s 11 and Trinamool Congress’ 5 — while voting in one seat was cancelled and will be held later.

CM Sangma has already called up Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek his help in securing another term, and according to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, the former’s request has been accepted.

NAGALAND

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP alliance comfortably earned majority by winning 37 of the 60 assembly seats. While NDPP got 25 seats, BJP’s share was 12.

Indian National Congress drew a blank, as Nationalist Congress Party (7) and National People’s Party (5) shared a dozen.