BJP banks on Brand Modi, regional allies to retain power in Northeast states

The ruling BJP has asked its cadre to strongly project the development works done for the Northeast by the Narendra Modi-led government in order to counter the challenges from a possible united Opposition, “leadership crisis” and the sentiments for a separate Tipraland state in Tripura where Assembly polls are scheduled early next year.

However, the BJP is banking on its equation with the regional allies, National People’s Party (NPP) and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Meghalaya and Nagaland, the two other Northeastern states that are bracing up for the Assembly polls.

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Modi will visit Tripura and Meghalaya on December 18, during which the party is likely to kick off its campaign. Meanwhile, the Opposition CPM, Congress and TMC are trying to cobble up a “united Opposition” in order to deny BJP its second straight term.

The BJP on Sunday held a meeting of its top leaders in New Delhi in which it was decided to highlight the “importance” the Modi government accorded to the Northeast since 2014.

In 2018, the BJP contested the elections in a pre-poll alliance with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and formed its first government in the state.

However, this time the IPFT is facing erosion in its tribal vote bank mainly over the separate Tipraland state issue. BJP is against the separate state demand. The TIPRA Motha, another regional party led by Tripura’s Royal scion Pradyot Deb Barma, has become a cause of worry for the BJP and the IPFT since it won the elections in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council in March.

Twenty out of 60 Assembly seats are under TTDAC areas and the IPFT had won eight in 2018. The CPM is targeting the BJP over the frequent political violence that the state witnessed since it came to power in 2018.

Leadership crisis

With the Opposition attacks and internal dissidence, BJP in September replaced Biplab Kumar Deb and appointed Manik Saha as the new CM. This, according to party insiders, has not ended the dissidence yet.

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Trinamool, which has set its eyes on Tripura, also seems to be struggling with a leadership crisis with the party sacking its president Subal Bhowick in August. On Sunday, TMC appointed former Congress state chief Pijush Kanti Biswas as its state president. “People of Tripura want a change and TMC can be the best alternative. There is only two and half months left for the elections but we are confident of getting things in our favour,” Biswas said.

Meghalaya & Nagaland

Interestingly in Meghalaya, BJP has started attacking the NPP, its ally in the coalition government since 2018, as it targets the anti-NPP votes in the Assembly polls. BJP in 2018 had won only two seats in the House of 60.

The party this time has set its target to become the leading party in the possible coalition government. In Nagaland, the BJP has already decided to fight in 20 seats and support NDPP candidates in 40 others. BJP in 2018 had won 12 seats while the NDPP leads the coalition government. BJP this time hopes to increase its tally.