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

Assembly Elections Live Updates

Here are the key things about the assembly elections 2023 in the northeastern states:

High voter turnout

While Tripura recorded 87.76% polling, Nagaland saw 85.90%, and Meghalaya registered 85.27% voter turnout.

Tripura – The 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 states.

Postal ballots to 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 battle among national parties, Pradyot Debbarma-led TIPRA Motha has emerged as an X-factor in Tripura. The sway of its founder, a scion of erstwhile royalty, among a big section of the tribal population has disturbed conventional calculations. This is significant as the BJP and its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) had done well in the tribal region in 2018.

Close contest in Meghalaya

As per the exit polls, the most closely contested battle has been in Meghalaya, which predicted a hung assembly, with the ruling NPP possibly ending up with 20 seats. The BJP may increase its number of seats from two to six this time. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress could secure up to 11 seats.

No opposition in Nagaland

In Nagaland, all parties with a presence in the 60-member assembly backed the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-led government. The BJP is again fighting the polls in alliance with the NDPP.

Assam chief minister’s claim

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

BJP expected to deliver majority in Tripura

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

Meghalaya and Nagaland elections

Regional parties remain bigger 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 Shah, in the states to expand its footprints.

BJP targets Sangma

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