NDA To Form Government In Three NE States: Himanta

 GUWAHATI, Feb 28 (PTI): Asserting there will be no hung assembly in either Tripura, Nagaland or Meghalaya, as predicted in some exit polls, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed the NDA will form governments with absolute majority in all three northeastern states.

Sarma, the NEDA convenor, said no NDA (National Democratic Alliance) partner will enter into any alliance with either Congress or the Trinamool Congress after the results are declared on Thursday.

“There will be no hung assembly. The NDA will form governments in all the three states,” he said at a press conference here.

Several exit polls have predicted hung assemblies in Tripura and Meghalaya although the NDA will be the largest block.

Only in Nagaland, psephology surveys have predicted the return of the NDA to power with an absolute majority.

When asked about candidates for the chief minister’s post in the three states, Sarma said there will be a status quo in Tripura and Nagaland, scotching rumours that Tripura may see a yet another change of guard.

“Tripura will have a BJP CM, while we are in a coalition government in Nagaland,” said the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the regional wing of NDA.

In Meghalaya, the chief minister will be decided after considering the number of seats won by the BJP, he added. The BJP did not enter into a pre-poll alliance with any party in the state, though it had an understanding with NPP, which pollsters tipped to be the largest single party, earlier.

“However, there will be no alliance with the TMC and Congress in any state,” Sarma asserted.

Currently, Tripura has a BJP chief minister, while the governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya are led by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the National People’s Party (NPP) respectively.

Elections were held in Tripura on February 16, and in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. Results will be declared on March 2.