The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies in the northeast are aiming to increase their strength by winning big in the bye-election to 10 assembly seats in four northeastern states including Assam(5), Meghalaya(3) and one each in Nagaland and Mizorams, scheduled on October 30.
BJP and its allies are in government in Assam and Meghalaya. In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF), which is part of the National Democratic Alliance, is in power, however, the BJP is not part of the government in the state.
With half of the 10 seats heading to bypolls being in Assam, the focus is on the performance the BJP-led ruling coalition that includes Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) will put up against an Opposition in disarray.
Tamulpur and Gossaigaon assembly seats fell vacant due to deaths of Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) and UPPL legislators. The other 3 seats fell vacant after two Congress MLAs, from Mariani and Thowra, and an All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA from Bhabanipur resigned and joined the BJP.
Congress, AIUDF and eight other parties, which were part of an opposition grand alliance for this year’s assembly polls, have decided to fight the bye-elections independently or in tie-ups with new allies.
{{/usCountry}}Congress, AIUDF and eight other parties, which were part of an opposition grand alliance for this year’s assembly polls, have decided to fight the bye-elections independently or in tie-ups with new allies.
{{/usCountry}}On the other hand, the BJP and its allies are contesting the bypolls as a team. At present all the major parties are engaged in meetings and names of candidates are expected to be announced within the next 2-3 days.
“We are confident of winning all five seats. BJP would be contesting at least 3 of the 5 seats while our ally UPPL will field candidates in the rest. No decision has been taken either on division of seats or on the candidates yet,” BJP Assam state president Bhabesh Kalita said.
At present the ruling BJP has 59 MLAs, UPPL 5 and AGP 9, while opposition Congress has 27, AIUDF 15, BPF-3, CPM 1 and the newly floated Raijor Das has 1 MLA in the 126-member lower house. Bye-election to the Majuli seat, which fell vacant after Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal resigned last week, will take place later.
“We will contest from 3 or 4 of the 5 seats and names of candidates will be announced soon. I appeal to voters to defeat those who got elected on the Congress symbol and ditched the party and joined the BJP within a few months,” Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.
AIUDF organising secretary Mohammad Aminul Islam said his party would field candidates in two seats and could offer support to “like-minded parties” in the other three seats in order to defeat the BJP’s “communal and divisive agenda”.
In Meghalaya, three seats had fallen vacant after deaths of sitting MLAs. While two of these seats including Mawryngkneng and Rajabala were earlier with the Congress, the party in Opposition , the Mawphlang seat was represented by SK Sunn, an independent legislator.
According to leaders in the Congress, who didn’t wish to be named, the party has finalised candidates for the two seats and will take a call on the third in a few days. A final decision on the candidates will be taken by the party high command in Delhi.
The Congress, which has 15 members in the lower house at present, is struggling to keep its camp in order following reports that former chief minister and current leader of opposition Mukul Sangma mayl quit the party and join the Trinamool Congress with nearly a dozen MLAs. Sangma has denied these as ‘rumours’.
The National People’s Party (NPP) which heads the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has 21 seats in the 60-member house while the BJP, which is part of the government, has 2 seats. The alliance is yet to finalise a list of candidates or a seat sharing deal.
In Nagaland, the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) is expected to win the Shamtorr-Chessore seat comfortably. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of the sitting NDPP legislator.
BJP is part of the ruling coalition in the state and last month Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) also joined the government making the state ‘opposition-less’.
In Mizoram, except the BJP all other major parties have decided on their candidates for the Tuirial constituency which fell vacant in August following the death of Opposition Zoram Peoples’ Movement (ZPM) MLA.
While ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) will field K Laldawngliana from the seat, Congress and ZPM have decided on the names of Chalrosanga Ralte and Laltlanmawia respectively.
MNF has 27 MLAs in the 40-member house while the Congress has 5, ZPM-6 and the BJP has 1. Filing of nominations for the bye-elections will end on October 8 and counting of votes will be on November 2.