Fiery campaign for February 27 polls in Meghalaya, Nagaland ends

Shillong/Kohima: The high-octane Meghalaya and Nagaland poll campaign during which barbs flew thick and fast among parties ended today.
Voting in the two states, both having 60-member assemblies, will take place on Tuesday. The results will be declared on March 3 along with that of Tripura, where elections were held on February 18. The BJP is making a determined bid to expand its footprint in the Northeast, buoyed by formation of its governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Meghalaya, in particular, is important for the Congress, which has ruled it for 10 years.

But, this time the BJP is making a determined effort to throw them out of power and include Meghalaya, a next door neighbour of BJP-ruled Assam, in its kitty.

BJP's resolve could be gauged from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself spearheaded the campaign. Party chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, I&B minister Smriti Irani and a host of other leaders also chipped in.

Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons, a Christian from Kerala, stayed put in Meghalaya as the BJP in- charge of the state with a predominant Christian population.

From the Congress, its president Rahul Gandhi campaigned in the state. Its media chief Randeep Singh Surjewala and MP Shashi Tharoor extended helping hands.

With a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 14 Rajya Sabha berths, the eight states of the region are crucial for the BJP to add up to its number in 2019 general election.

At present, the BJP has eight Lok Sabha members from the region, and the Congress has seven.

In the Rajya Sabha, out of total 14 seats, the BJP has one and the Congress nine. The rest are with local parties.

As the clock ticked 4 pm, campaigning ended in both Meghalaya and Nagaland.

The Congress and the BJP are slugging it out in Meghalaya. The Congress has fielded 59 candidates, while the BJP has put up nominees in 47 constituencies. pti