Last Update: January 23, 2023, 09:38 AM IST
Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patten asserted that the BJP is contesting more seats and strengthening the party and organization and not playing second fiddle to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. (PTI file photo)
It has been decided that BJP will contest alone on all the 60 assembly seats in Meghalaya. Sources said that if there is a hung government or if no party gets a clear majority, then the post-poll alliance option remains open.
With the announcement of election dates for the Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura Assemblies by the Central Election Commission, the BJP is busy finalizing the list of candidates and tweaking the election strategy in the northeastern states.
According to sources, initially BJP’s national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh is scheduled to visit Meghalaya on January 24 and meet top leaders. Sources further said that since the BJP has decided to go it alone and has not announced pre-polls with the National People’s Party led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, it will be necessary to shortlist potential candidates for all 60 seats. An extensive exercise has been done.
Sources also said that the party’s Central Election Committee is likely to meet on January 27 to finalize and announce the candidates for the Nagaland polls.
According to senior party leaders in the state, Meghalaya has 29 seats in Khasi Hills, 24 in Garo Hills and seven in Jaintia Hills. “All the major contenders have a strong base in Garo Hills, be it BJP or Konrad or Mukul Sangma. It has been decided that the BJP will go it alone in all the 60 assembly constituencies. If there is a hung government or no party gets a clear majority, the option of post-poll alliance remains open.
While the BJP will officially announce the candidates on January 27, the BJP had much earlier announced a pre-poll alliance with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which is the principal party of the United Democratic Alliance government in Nagaland, and said it would Hoga will contest on 40 seats while BJP will contest on 20 seats.
In 2018, the same number of seats were divided in the alliance and BJP won 12 out of 20 seats. However, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patten insisted that the BJP was contesting more seats and strengthening the party and the organization and was not playing second fiddle to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
Later, the party took charge of the situation and assured the NDPP that the alliance would remain intact.
Elections for 60 seats each to the assemblies of Nagaland and Meghalaya are to be held on February 27, while the 60-seat Tripura, the state the party won for the first time in 2018, will go to polls on February 16.
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