NEW DELHI: Demolishing the Left Front bastion, the BJP on Saturday stormed to power in Tripura and it looked set to form coalition governments in alliance with regional parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya giving new contours to the political map of northeast India.  

The BJP along with its ally IPFT dislodged the Manik Sarkar government in Tripura, bagging an impressive two-thirds majority, a historic verdict in its favour. In Nagaland, the BJP and its ally NDPP appeared reaching close to the magic half-way number of 30 seats, while in Meghalaya a non-Congress dispensation could be cobbled together.

With the BJP governments already in place in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the far-flung North-East region has shown a tectonic shift to the saffron party. A visibly happy Prime Minister  Narendra Modi told party workers at the BJP headquarters here that his government had taken Delhi to the doorstep of the people of the North-East, ending their alienation from the seat of governance.

The BJP and its allies are already in power in 19 states across India and adding Tripura and Meghalaya will put NDA in the seat of power in 21 states. In Nagaland, the BJP was in power
in alliance with regional party NPF.

Dedicating the unprecedented victory of the BJP to the untiring efforts, toil and sacrifices of the party workers over the last one year in the CPI(M)-citadel of Tripura, Mr Modi said the people had reposed their faith and trust in the Lotus party through the ballot, braving the politics of intimidation and violence. The CPI(M) could win 16 seats in Tripura where it has ruled since 1978 barring a five-year period of Congress rule from 1988 to 1993.

Congress which emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya deputed senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath to explore possibilities of putting up a coalition government with regional parties and independents.  

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the BJP will have “requisite numbers” to form a non-Congress government with the support of NPP and UDP in Meghalaya.

In a statement on the verdict in Tripura, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said it will lead to the formation of a BJP-IPFT alliance government in the state.  After 25 years in government, the Left Front has been voted out of office.


“The BJP has, apart from other factors, utilized massive deployment of money and other resources to influence the elections.  The BJP was able to consolidate all the anti-Left votes virtually appropriating the erstwhile main opposition party, the Congress,” the statement said.