NE Verdict: BJP stays invincible against fractured Opposition
Photo credit twitter handle Manik Saha
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, March 2: The verdict in the North-eastern states has affirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party remains invincible to fractured Opposition. The BJP retained power in Tripura, beating the anti-incumbency factor. The saffron outfit grew stronger in Nagaland to retain power with allies, while the BJP will come to power again in Meghalaya by sharing power with Conrad Sangma’s outfit. The BJP has demonstrated that the party is neither tired nor fatigued.
The BJP was facing an uphill task in Tripura where the saffron outfit had wrested power from the Left in 2018. But the BJP had to sack its Chief Minister Biplab Deb for non-performance a tear ahead of the Assembly elections. With Deb at the helm, the BJP had run into protests in the tribal dominated areas. Yet, the BJP polled 39 per cent vote share and won 32 Assembly seats in the House of 60.
The Left and Congress had joined hands in Tripura. Together, the two parties polled 31 per cent vote share and won a total of 14 seats. The CPI (M) won 11 seats and Congress could manage to win just three constituencies. In contrast, the Tipra Motha Party made a spectacular show in the elections, winning a total of 13 seats to become the main Opposition party in the state Assembly. This party decimated the BJP ally the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, which could win just one seat. The Trinamool Congress drew blank.
The message was clear in Tripura, which held true in Nagaland and Meghalaya also. On one side was the BJP and the other flank was crowded with opposition parties. Congress, TMC, Left, regional outfits, Janata Dal (United) and others vied for the popular support. The anti-BJP votes were split in several camps. This helped the BJP to retain power in Tripura with just 39 per cent votes even while the alliance of Congress-Left with 31 per cent vote share could win just 14 seats.
Meghalaya has never given a clear mandate to any party barring the first election, and the National People’s Party of Sangmas will again form government with the support of the BJP. In Nagaland, the BJP won 12 seats to make a grand base in the state. The verdict in the Northeastern states has sent out a clear message to the opposition parties that if they fail to come together and keep talking of post-poll scenario they BJP will reserve their places in the Opposition only.
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