NEW DELHI: Looking to consolidate in the north-east, the BJP will contest the forthcoming assembly polls in Tripura, Meghalaya and
Nagaland with development as its main plank, showcasing the centrally sponsored infrastructure development in the region.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and BJP president
Amit Shah have visited the state in the past two months, launching the party's campaign for the assembly polls.
The Congress is in power in Meghalaya while CPM rules Tripura. After wining Assam, the BJP is trying to make its presence felt in the region and the party has been bolstered with several MLAs from different parties joined it recently.
Senior BJP leader and convenor of North East Democratic Alliance Himanta Biswa Sarma told TOI, "Congress will lose power in Meghalaya and CPM in Tripura. BJP and NDA will form government in all three states."
Once a political pariah in the region, the BJP has been striving to expand in the north-east after winning Assam. The Centre has not only pushed infrastructure projects but also several central leaders have been assigned to visit the region regularly. At least 16 central ministers have visited the region in the past two years to reach out to people.
"There are natural constraints in the north-east with difficult topography but development projects have been carried out on a war footing in the past three years," said
Jitendra Singh, junior minister for development of north-eastern region.
Singh said the Centre's connect with the region was also psychological and personal. "The region's journey has been from neglect to high priority under the BJP-led NDA government," he said. He cited a number of measures taken by the Centre, including amendment to the Forest Act to exclude bamboo from the definition of trees, which will boost the economy in states like Tripura.
The BJP's in-charge for Meghalaya Nalin Kohli said the party would contest the polls with a positive agenda. "Central outlay to the state was doubled by the 15th
Finance Commission but the Congress government failed miserably as development was never its agenda," he said. He cited four Congress leaders switching over to BJP as an indication of the imminent change.
The saffron party is confident of outmanoeuvring the Left in Tripura where Manik Sarkar has been CM since 1998. The BJP has held several round of talks with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) for an alliance.
Sarma held another round of talks with the IPFT on Wednesday and the two parties are likely to release a joint statement soon about seat sharing. "We hope to finalise the entire deal within two to three days and then the statement will be made public," Sarma said.
NEDA is a coalition formed in 2016 by BJP along with regional parties like
Naga People's Front, Sikkim Democratic Front, People's Party of Arunachal, Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front.
The ruling party in Nagaland, the Naga People's Front, will contest the assembly polls in alliance with the BJP.
