The BJP looks likely to retain power in Nagaland and Tripura, with counting of votes for assembly polls in these two States of northeast getting closer to final tallies. Meanwhile Meghalaya is heading for a hung assembly and chief of the ruling party has indicated that his party would not be averse to joining hands with the BJP for an alliance.

Of the total 60 assembly segments in Tripura, the BJP won 20 seats and was leading in another 13 constituencies while its ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (ITFP) bagged one seat. Similarly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won three and was leading in another 8 constituencies and Indian National Congress’s two MLAs won polls while another one is leading.

Tipra Motha Party, founded by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, won eight seats and was leading in another four. The regional party could hold the key to who forms the form the government in the State in case of a hung assembly since the majority mark is 30. “We are forming the next government in the State... as we have been saying since the beginning. Two central leaders — Phanindranath Sarma and Sambit Patra — are here to oversee... hopefully, more will be arriving today,” BJP’s State unit chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said.

Tripura was ruled by the Left parties until 2018 when the BJP was elected to power, winning 36 seats in the assembly polls. The CPI (M) managed 16 seats with a 42.22 per cent vote share and the IPFT got eight seats. The Congress, however, was unable to open its account.

In the 60-member assembly of Nagaland, the BJP was in the lead with the ruling alliance of the BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party together winning 23 seats and leading in another 13 constituencies. Of the total tally of the two partners, NDPP won 14 and was leading in 10 more seats. Likewise, BJP won nine and was surging ahead in three constituencies, as per the trends indicated by the Election Commission of India website. If the both the parties manage to convert their leads into victory, the alliance will comfortably come back to power since the majority mark is 31.

Republican Party of India (Athawale), which is a partner of the BJP at the Centre, has won two seats. Interestingly, four independent candidates won in the State while JDU has not been able to open an account and another Bihar regional party Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) won one seat and was leading in two others, as the per the latest trend shown in the EC website.

The National People’s Party won four seats and was ahead in one more, while Nationalist Congress Party cornered two and was leading in 5 more seats.

Latest counting trends shared by the EC suggests that the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) won ten seats and was ahead in 15 more constituencies in Meghalaya. The BJP, however, has not been able to open its account though it’s leading on a lone seat out of the total 59 assembly segments.

United Democratic Party managed to get 8 seats while it was leading in 3 more. And local outfit, Voice of the People Party got 2 seats and was leading in 2 more, as per the EC. Outgoing CM Conrad Sangma of the NPP hinted that he may not be averse to forming the government with the assistance of the BJP as he told media in Nagaland that his party may engage with anyone which can raise the North-east’s voice at the national level.

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