With Eyes on 22 Seats, BJP Stitches Alliances in Northeast

Gangtok: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has finalised its alliances in the Northeast, setting a target of winning at least 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats from eight states of the region, party general secretary Ram Madhav claimed on Wednesday.

Madhav, the BJP's incharge of the Northeast, held a series of discussions here on Tuesday till past midnight and sealed the alliances with the Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), National People's Party, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha.

The BJP leader will be holding a meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and leaders of the IPFT in Agartala on Wednesday.

The alliances have been finalised under the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's political coalition with the regional parties of the region.

"This alliance has the potential of winning not less than 22 out of 25 seats in the region and play an important role in seeing Modi-ji as the PM once again," Madhav posted on Facebook.

On Tuesday, Madhav had met Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Madhav also met a delegation of the AGP, the led by party president Atul Bora, and finalised reunion of the former allies.

"It was a hectic day of parlays yesterday in the North East. Sustained negotiations at Dimapur and Guwahati with different senior leaders. Have finally sealed the alliance and electoral understanding between the BJP and all major parties in the North East," he added in the post.

"The BJP, NPP, NDPP, AGP and BPF will fight together in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh with the mission of defeating Congress party at the hustings. In Tripura, the BJP will fight the elections together with IPFT, our alliance partner," Madhav said.

In Sikkim, BJP's alliance will be with the main opposition party, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, he added.

"While the Opposition is still talking and talking about 'Mahagatbandhan' (grand alliance), we already have ours in place in the North East and the rest of the country. The NDA is a much stronger coalition today than before," Madhav said.