Last Update: March 02, 2023, 00:05 IST
Polling officials take EVMs and VVPATs to a strong room after the Meghalaya Assembly elections are over, at Tura in West Garo Hills district on February 27. (Image: PTI)
Exit polls have predicted a return of the BJP in Tripura and its alliance with the NDPP, a majority in Nagaland and a hung assembly in Meghalaya.
Exit polls have predicted a return of the BJP in Tripura and its alliance with the NDPP, a majority in Nagaland and a hung assembly in Meghalaya.
The election results will indicate if the BJP managed to retain its base in Tripura, the Left bastion captured by the party in 2018, and made further inroads into Meghalaya and Nagaland, or if the opposition managed to make a dent in its influence.
Tripura
In Tripura, the BJP is up against the Congress-Left alliance and Tipra Motha, which has emerged as a challenger. In this battle between national parties, it is the Pradyot Debbarma-led TIPRA Motha that has emerged as an X-factor among a large section of the tribal population, descendants of its founder, erstwhile royalty, upsetting the traditional calculations. The BJP and its ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), did well, especially in the tribal belt in 2018.
The BJP’s surprise rise in 2013 after failing to win a majority on its own, after demolishing a Left bastion for two decades, was projected by the party as its ideological victory over its rivals, and will be seen as a loss Despite Tripura’s relatively minor influence on national politics, it came as a shock.
According to Axis My India, BJP alliance can win 36-45 seats out of 60, Communist Party of India India (Marxist) Alliance 6-11 and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) 9-16.
Meanwhile, Matrise predicts 29-36 seats for BJP+, 13-21 for CPM+, 11-16 for TMP and three for others. Jan Ki Baat has predicted 29-40 seats for BJP+, 9-16 for CPM+, 10-14 for TMP and one seat for others. ETG has predicted 24 seats for BJP+, 21 for CPM+, 14 for TMP and one for Others.
Tribals dominate 20 of Tripura’s 60 seats. In the 2018 elections, the BJP won 33, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) 4, the Communist Party of India (M) 15 and the Congress one.
Nagaland and Meghalaya
Exit polls predicted that the NDPP-BJP alliance would form the government in Nagaland and Meghalaya would have a hung assembly.
In Nagaland, which had the unique feature of having no opposition as all parties with a presence in the 60-member assembly supported the government led by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, the BJP is again contesting the elections in alliance with the NDPP.
In Meghalaya, for the first time, the BJP has contested all 60 seats and has consistently targeted its former ally National People’s Party leader and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for running the “most corrupt” state government in the country.
The BJP was a partner in the state government, but broke ties before the elections. The party hopes to emerge as a more powerful player by increasing its strength in the assembly by two if a hung assembly comes like last time.
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