Counting begins in Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland: What’s at stake?

assembly election live updates

Here are the highlights of the assembly elections 2023 in the northeastern states:

high voter turnout

While 87.76% polling was recorded in Tripura, 85.90% in Nagaland and 85.27% in Meghalaya.

Tripura – a state with national resonance

Traditional rivals Congress and the Left have joined forces for the first time to challenge the BJP in Tripura’s 60-member assembly, making it a state that promises to have more national resonance than the other two.

Postal ballot will be counted first

The counting of votes for Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland began at 8 am. Postal ballots will be counted first, followed by EVMs. The results will be updated on the official website of the Election Panel.

X-Factor: Tipra Motha

In the fight between national parties, Pradyot Debbarma-led Tipra Motha has emerged as an X-factor in Tripura. The dominance of its founder, a descendant of former royalty, among a large section of the tribal population has upset traditional calculations. This is significant as the BJP and its ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), had done well in the tribal belt in 2018.

Close contest in Meghalaya

The closest fight has been in Meghalaya, according to exit polls, which predicted a hung assembly, with the ruling NPP likely ending up with 20 seats. BJP can increase its number of seats from two to six this time. Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress can get 11 seats.

no protest in nagaland

In Nagaland, all parties with a presence in the 60-member assembly supported the government led by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party. BJP is once again contesting elections in alliance with NDPP.

Assam Chief Minister’s claim

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that there will be no hung assemblies in Tripura, Nagaland, or Meghalaya, as predicted in some exit polls, and that the BJP-led NDA will form governments with absolute majority in all these states .

BJP hopes to get majority in Tripura

In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had won 36 seats, and the IPFT eight. With the IPFT in decline following the death of its founder NC Debbarma, the burden of providing a majority largely rests on the BJP’s shoulders. Meanwhile, its two main rivals have united.

Meghalaya and Nagaland Elections

Regional parties remain major players in both Meghalaya and Nagaland. However, the BJP ran a determined campaign with its bigwigs including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit ShahTo expand its footprints in the States.

Sangma on BJP’s target

For the first time, the BJP has contested all 60 seats in Meghalaya and has consistently targeted National People’s Party (NPP) leader and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for running the country’s “most corrupt” state government. Interestingly, the BJP was a partner. In the state government but broke ties before the elections.