Striving to wipe out the Congress from the northeast, BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday launched the second conclave of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) — a political platform of the BJP and its allies in the region – and urged the State governments “to build on the achievements of the Modi government”.
“The BJP-led NEDA is in power in five States but I am confident that in the coming days, the alliance will be in power in all the eight States in the north-eastern region,” Mr. Shah said at the inaugural session. Right now, BJP-led governments are in power in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh while the ruling parties in Nagaland and Sikkim are its allies.The remaining north eastern states where NEDA is not in power are heading for polls later this year and next year. Elections in Left-ruled Tripura is expected later this year while Congress- ruled Mizoram and Meghalaya will go to polls next year.
"The development work done by the Modi government in the last three years for the long-neglected north-eastern region is several times more than the work done by Congress-led governments in the last 65 years,"said the BJP President and stressed that development of the North east is a priority for the Modi government and that’s why Prime Minister coined the term astalakshmi (eight jewels) to describe the region.
Modi calls for Congress-free India
"It is not only a political platform but a platform to culturally unite all eight north-eastern states and increase their involvement in national affairs,"said Mr Shah.
NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that he was confident of seeing a Congress mukt (Congress-free) North East by November 2018.
The meeting, attended by the chief ministers of Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, discussed a range of issues —from elections next year to border security and illegal immigration from Bangladesh and Myanmar.