“BJP has ensured that North East is no longer a forgotten outpost”

The BJP made major gains in the North East. It performed impressively with its alliances in Meghalaya and Nagaland, but the big story of the day is Tripura. From zero in 2013 to forming the government in 2018, the party has come a long way.

The focus and attention on the Northeastern states is immense these days and leading psephologist, Dr Sandeep Shastri says that thanks to the BJP, the North East is no longer a forgotten outpost.

He speaks with OneIndia about the elections. To begin with, Dr Shastri said that the results for the three states is unlikely to have an impact in the remaining assembly elections. North East has its own politics, he says.

Having that, I would like to note here that the country has always avoided focus on the North East like a forgotten outpost. The elections show that this region is being treated as important. The Congress and Left have always dominated this region. The attempt by the BJP to expand its base has given North East more visibility, Dr Shastri feels.

However the big story of the day for me is Tripura, he says. The Left's bastions have reduced with this loss in Tripura. They lost their hold on West Bengal a few years back and currently they are ruling only in Kerala after this loss in Tripura.

The win in Tripura is an indication that the BJP is expanding its reach in North East. For the BJP to be known as a pan India party, its presence in NE is very important. While the BJP may not be entirely happy with the results in Meghalaya and Nagaland, it would take pride in the fact that it has pushed the Left out of its den in Tripura, Dr Shastri also says.

OneIndia News