BJP’s victory continues in the NE, doubles its tally

BJP’s surge in the Northeast, which began in 2014, continued further with the saffron party and its allies winning in 17 of the 24 Lok Sabha seats in seven states.

In 2014, BJP had bagged eight seats in the region including seven in Assam.

Four Congress candidates---three in Assam and one in Meghalaya emerged victorious against eight seats it had bagged in the region in 2014.

In Assam, having 14 Lok Sabha seats, BJP candidates won nine seats.

Perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal won the lone seat for the All Indian United Democratic Front (AIUDF), while Naba Kumar Sarania, a former Ulfa commander retained the Kokrajhar seat as an Independent candidate. AIUDF had won three seats in 2014.

The results were similar to most exit polls, which predicted at least 17 seats to BJP and its ally in the seven states.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP's face in the Northeast, who is credited for party’s surge in the region, said the result were the outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong leadership and politics of nationalism. “It was an election against the Congress’ appeasement policy and people of the Northeast understood it. We will take the Northeast ahead further,” Sarma told reporters here.

Sarma is the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a BJP-floated forum of its allies in the Northeast. He has continuously tried hard to keep the NEDA partners united even when most had stood against BJP’s Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

BJP candidates won both the seats in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, while its ally Mizo National Front wrested the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram from Congress.Candidates of NDPP, an ally of BJP got the Nagaland seat. BJP and Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidates won one seat each in Manipur. The NPF had recently threatened to quit the BJP-led Manipur government.

Gaurav Gogoi of Congress, the son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi retained the Kaliabor seat by defeating AGP candidate by over 2.09 lakh votes. AGP, an ally of BJP, which contested in three seats drew a blank.

Sushmita Dev of Congress, who is also the president of All India Women Congress, lost the Silchar seat to BJP by a margin of over 81,000 votes

Union minister of state for home, Kiren Rijiju won against Nabam Tuki, former chief minister and Congress leader in Arunachal West constituency by over 1.54 lakh votes.

Sitting MP of Congress Vincent L Pala retained the Shillong seat in Meghalaya while late P A Sangma’s daughter Agatha Sangma was won against senior Congress leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma by over 64,000 votes.

According to poll observers, the results in favour of BJP and its ally suggested that the strong protests most parts of the Northeast witnessed against the Citizenship Amendment Bill before the election made no impact on voting behaviour. Many attributed the BJP’s victory to its polarisation tactics, which it played more this time.