GUWAHATI: Victories in
Gujarat and
Himachal Pradesh assembly elections have given
BJP the much-needed boost ahead of the upcoming elections in the northeastern states.
BJP leaders feel that the election results have come as a big blow to the
Congress's high-pitched electoral campaign in the two states and the impact of these victories will be felt in the northeast as well. Tripura, Meghalaya and
Nagaland are slated to go to the polls early next year while elections will be held in Mizoram later in the year. Tripura BJP president Biplab Deb said, "For the last few days, the communists in Tripura were predicting a BJP defeat in Gujarat and Himachal. They wanted to cash in on our defeat to improve their prospects in Tripura. But the victory of the BJP in the two states has ascertained our victory in Tripura as well."
Several national BJP leaders, including party general secretary Ram Madhav, will be in Agartala on December 21 to take a call on the party's next course of action in poll-bound Tripura. Important issues, such as striking up a possible alliance with tribal political outfits, are likely to be discussed in the meeting. In Meghalaya as well, the state BJP unit wanted to project the victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh as a people's mandate in favour of the 'development' espoused by the
Modi government and against the Congress' identity-based politics.
"Message from the recent election results is clear. People voted for development. The same thing is going to happen in Meghalaya," said BJP national spokesperson
Nalin Kohli. Congress is also upbeat because they believe they have given a tough fight in Gujarat. "Whatever we have achieved in Gujarat has relevance in Meghalaya as well. We were, in fact, successful in championing the hopes and aspirations of the minorities and the marginalized sections of society," a senior Congress leader of Meghalaya said.
Meghalaya has a Christian population of 75% while of 11% of its people are Hindus, 4% Muslims and 9% of indigenous faiths. BJP in the state is popular among the Hindus and the followers of indigenous faiths. But they are also trying to make significant inroads among the Christians. That will hardly be an easy task as Congress enjoys support among the Christians and has already launched their campaign against BJP's politics of Hindutva. Congress is, however, in virtual disarray in Nagaland, having been out of power in the state for almost 15 years.
