Decoding The Elections In Meghalaya, Nagaland And Tripura

The BJP’s ability to strike smart alliances has turned things around in its favour.

- Nasreen Habib

The recent Assembly Elections in the three Northeastern States, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura made one thing crystal clear: the BJP’s ability to strike smart alliances has turned things around in its favour. Mizoram is now the only State in the Northeast that has a Congress Government. From ousting the Left in Tripura after 25 years in power to bringing down the formidable Mukul Sangma government in Meghalaya seemed like a formidable task, but the BJP’s Central Leadership understood that the BJP doesn’t have a natural base in the Northeast and its Hinduvta brand of politics would not cut ice with the people here. Thus, it formed the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) in 2016, under the leadership of arguably the craftiest leader in Northeast, Himanta Biswa Sarma. In Tripura, his role was limited as Sunil Deodhar, the man in charge of PM Modi’s Varanasi campaign led the charge, but in the other two NE states, his role in ‘convincing’ the smaller parties and independents to support the alliance has been substantial. It also needs to be pointed out that NE states are heavily dependent on the Centre for funds, 90 per cent of the funds are given by the Central government and only 10 per cent is provided by the individual states. Thus, they prefer a Government that is ‘friendly’ and will not hamper this comfortable arrangement.

Meghalaya