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CoverStory

Northeast stays cautious

as first phase gets over

BJP led National Democratic Alliance, which is in power at the and put forward candidates in ten Lok
Centre, has been increasing political influence in the region that Sabha seats in Assam. Three seats have
been offered to AGP and one to BPF,
was once a stronghold of the Congress, writes nava thakuria where too BJP general secretary Ram
Madhav is expecting success because
ortheast India, once known Parliamentary constituencies of the he argued, Modi (Prime Minister) wave
as the region of separatists, region. still continued to influence the elector-
has joined the general elec- Assam, centre State of the region, ate as like in 2014 national polls.
tions starting from 11 April goes to polls in three phases (11, 18 and Anti-BJP forces in the region are
N 2019. Defying the old diktat 23 April) for 14 Lok Sabha seats, where trying to capitalize the public uprising
of armed militants in the far-eastern Manipur and Tripura have two-phase against the saffron party because of its
region, millions of electorate are out schedule (11 and 18 April) for two seats mush debated citizenship amendment
to to elect their 25 representatives in each. Arunachal Pradesh (two seats), bill (CAB) to pave ways for persecuted
Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Meghalaya (two), Nagaland (one), Mizo- religious minorities from Afghanistan,
Parliament. ram (one) and Sikkim (one) have single Pakistan and Bangladesh to get Indian
The region, surrounded by Nepal, phase poling schedule (11 April), out- citizenship. The anti-CAB movement
Bhutan, Tibet (now under China), My- come of all will be available on 23 May. almost swept the region and a series of
anmar and Bangladesh, gives shelter to BJP has already realigned electoral public demonstrations were observed
over 60 million people in eight provinc- ties with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) until it was lapsed in Rajya Sabha on 13
es (popularly termed as State). Besides and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) February.
the mainstream political parties like
the Indian National Congress, Bhartiya
Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP) etc, the region witnesses
activities by a number of regional
political parties.
BJP led National Democratic Alli-
ance, which is in power at the Centre,
has been increasing political influence
in the region that was once a strong-
hold of the Congress. By now the region
has no Congress government in any
State and the oldest party of India is
slowly facing shrinkages in northeast-
ern political space.
Moreover gradual loss of the Con-
gress has turned as the gain of BJP in
northeast India. While the party re-
mained in uncertainty over accepting
political alliances, the ruling saffron
leadership has already sealed electoral
ties with a number of regional political
parties expecting to succeed in over 20

• Vote peaceful Barring few sporadic incidents of
clashes, voting in Northeast passes off peacefully