BJP wins big but fails to move the needle in Nagaland

The BJP’s growth graph in the state was more or less flat, as the party won 12 seats this year, just as in 2018

The BJP is in a celebratory mood as Nagaland and Tripura are coming back in its kitty with the party and its allies getting a thumping majority in both states.

In Tripura, despite the challenge the regional front Tipra Motha posed, the BJP won 33 seats, gaining a clear majority in the house, amid an interesting contest. Things went a different way in Nagaland. The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance got a majority in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly by winning 35 seats. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won 21 seats while its alliance partner got 12 seats. The parties had fought the elections on 40:20 seat-sharing arrangement.

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Despite a big win, the BJP’s growth graph in the state in terms of seats was more or less flat as the saffron party won 12 seats this year, just as in 2018. Its vote share also saw a marginal increase, rising from 15.4 per cent in 2018 to about 19 per cent this year.

The only part that stands out in BJP’s performance this year is that six sitting MLAs lost their seats to various regional parties, and the saffron party made a mark in six new constituencies.

According to figures posted by the Election Commission of India, BJP has won in the following seats: Koridang, Longkhim Chare, Phomching, Tizit, Southern Angami-II, Tuensang Sadar-I, Tuli, Tyui, Akuluto, Alongtaki, Dimapur-I, Ghaspani-I. Of these 12, the party has retained its power in six constituencies.

It has won in six new constituencies this time, namely: Koridang, Longkhim Chare, Phomching, Southern Angami-II, Tuensang Sadar-I and Tuli.

In 2018, the party had bagged the following constituencies (those which BJP lost in 2023 in bold):

Constituency	Vote margin
Akuluto	735
Alongtaki	86
Bhandari	312
Dimapur-I	6,600
Ghaspani-I	2,595
Jangpetkong	276
Longleng	1,006
Noklak	5
Seyochung Sitimi	1,162
Suruhoto	8,559
Tizit	2,386
Tyui	3,092

The only contest that may pinch the BJP is Suruhoto where it had won by a whopping 8,500 votes in 2018, and lost this year. Jangpetkong, Noklak and Bhandari seats which the saffron party had to let go this time, is not a surprise as the margins were meagre 276, 5 and 312, respectively last time. It had won Longleng last year with a margin of only 1,000 votes.