The BJP after the recent victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh is now eyeing the North Eastern states which will have Assembly polls in 2018.
The Congress is in power in Meghalaya and Mizoram while the Left Front has been ruling Tripura since 1993. Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), one of the alliance partners of the BJP, is ruling Nagaland.
The BJP has already sounded poll bugle for the upcoming polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already visited Meghalaya and Mizoram to inaugurate various projects.
The current Meghalaya Assembly ends on March 6, Nagaland Assembly ends on March 13, and Tripura Assembly ends on March 14. All three assemblies have 60 seats each.
Nagaland is already under the NDA umbrella. The ruling NPF is one of the key constituents of the BJP in the North East region. The NPF has been ruling the state since 2003. Both the parties have been contesting the elections separately in the state. The BJP’s best performance came in 2003 when the party had won 7 seats with 10.88 per cent votes.
The NPF is facing a 15-year-old anti-incumbency in the state but the opposition Congress is not in a position to challenge it. The BJP not only wants to improve its performance in the state but also sees NPF as a tool to keep the Congress at bay. (Agencies)