BJP works hard in NE, wins strategic partners

Guwahati, Oct 15 (UNI) In an attempt to end the Congress party's traditional dominance in Northeast, the BJP has recently made some crucial move to forge understanding with a number of local parties aiming region's 24 seats for coming Lok Sahba polls.

Barring Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, BJP has clinched "serious" partnership in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur and was now negotiating with some local parties in Arunachal Pradesh.

Leaving asides two seats of Tripura, the BJP was making serious effort to have partnership in as many 22 seats for coming parliament polls, said BJP's North East in-charge P Chandra Sekhar Rao.

The BJP was buoyant after sealing a deal with rejuvenated Asom Gana Parishad, the most important regional party of the region and at stake is 14 seats.

Both the parties have won two seats each, but a combined team could make them richer in nent polls, a local political observer said.

In Meghalaya, the BJP is in power with the NCP and other regional parties while in Nagaland, the party has alliance with the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), which has returned to power.

"We are working hard in the whole region and if we come back to power we will really take care of the region'' said BJP organising secretary V Satish, who was a former organising head in Northeast for nearly 15 years and had shaped party's footprint.

With the joining of four political heavy- weights, the BJP, Manipur, was all set to ally with non-Congress and non-Communist forces in that state to challenge the Congress near future.

The joining of former chief minister RK Dorendro, former Federal Party of Manipur MLAs Maibam Nilachandra, Salam Ibohal and IAS Kh Dinamani (retd) has bolster image of the BJP in Manipur.

"BJP is now ready to fight Congress Party and we're hopeful to succeed", Haobam Borabau, president of BJP, Manipur, told reporters Keishampat yesterday.

"We are in winning position in four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland. We have an MP from Arunachal Pradesh and we are confident that he will return. We are looking at the other seat also. We do hope that MNF will also go with us in Mizoram'', BJP leader Bijoya Chakarvartry said here.

Once considered a Congress citadel, the BJP, has gained and strengthened its hold on the North-East.

In last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won only two of the 24 seats in seven northeast states.

In Mizoram, it has teamed up with the Mizo National Front. The BJP has also made an alliance with Bijoy Hrangkhal's INPT in a bid to break the Communist's dominance in Tripura.

UNI MT PC KLC1447