BJP announces support to candidates of three regional parties in Northeast

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced support to candidates of three regional parties in the Northeast for the ensuing Parliamentary polls slated to start from April 19.

BJP national spokesperson and coordinator of Northeast, Sambit Patra, in a press statement, issued on Friday, said that the party would support the Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidate in the Outer Manipur constituency, National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland.

“As per instructions of the Honourable National President of BJP Shri @JPNadda ji, I am pleased to inform that BJP will extend its support to Lok Sabha Candidates of NPP in both the seats of Meghalaya (Shillong and Tura), to NPF in the Outer Manipur Constituency and to NDPP in Nagaland in the ensuing Parliamentary elections, 2024”, he said..

“Under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, BJP will cross 370 and NDA will cross 400 seats. NDA will be victorious in all the Lok Sabha seats of North-East under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji”, added Patra.

In Manipur, the NPF, a ruling ally in the state, in its working committee meeting held at Kohima on Wednesday, resolved to give ticket to Kachui Timothy Zimik, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer to contest from Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

Manipur would go to polls in two phases for Inner Manipur constituency and Outer Manipur constituency on April 19 and 26, respectively. The votes will be counted on June 4.

Meanwhile, opposition INDIA bloc decided to support Alfred K Arthur in the Outer Manipur constituency and Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in the Inner Manipur constituency.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio-led Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has nominated Dr. Chumben Murry, a former minister, for the April 19 parliamentary polls. Murry is the NDPP-BJP led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA)’s consensus candidate. Nagaland has only one seat in the Lower House. The NDPP and the BJP are pre-poll allies, and the state has an opposition-less assembly.

The Congress has announced its state unit president S Supongmeren Jamir as its candidate for the upcoming LS polls.

The state is likely to see a triangular contest between Murry, Jamir and

independent candidate Hayithung Tungoe Lotha, who is the only one to have filed nomination papers so far. Filing of nomination will close on March 27.

In Meghalaya, incumbent Agatha Sangma and Meghalaya health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh were fielded from Tura and Shillong seats, respectively.

In Assam, the saffron party is also supporting candidates of Asom Gana Parishad (Barpeta and Dhubri seats) and the United People’s Party Liberal (Kokrajhar).

( Inputs from Sobhapati Samom, Alice Yoshu, David Laitphlang)