BJP confident of Tripura, Nagaland victory, hopeful in Meghalaya: Rijiju

The minister says these three elections is a defining election because we are going in a big way

Voicing confidence that the BJP will form the next governments in Nagaland and Tripura, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said the assembly polls in these two states and Meghalaya are a defining election for the entire northeast.

"We have formed the government in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Now these three elections is a defining election because we are going in a big way. This is primarily because the long problems and isolation being faced by the northeast people has found way in the form of BJP," he told journalists here.

Noting that Tripura elections were conducted peacefully, Rijiju said: "BJP is going to form the government in Tripura that is the ground report and our assessment is that with absolute majority."

"In Nagaland, BJP is fighting the election in coalition and in alliance with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and we are in absolutely comfortable position in Nagaland and we are going to form the government," he said.

The BJP and NDPP have stitched a pre-poll alliance with the former contesting in 20 assembly seats and the latter in 40 seats for the February 27 Nagaland assembly elections.

Rijiju was hopeful of a "positive results" in the elections to the 60 member Meghalaya assembly.

"I was in-charge of Meghalaya for more than 10 years so I know the political history of Meghalaya very well. This time the difference is perceptible. Earlier, the BJP's presence was limited. BJP used to fight in few numbers of seats and sometimes win a few. And we are hopeful for a positive result on March 3," he said.

Terming his BJP a "panacea" to all the ailments which the people of the northeast are facing, Rijiju said: "BJP has dominated the politics of northeast now with the rest of the country. BJP is ensuring that the northeast does not get behind in any sector."

Attacking the Congress for instilling fear in the minds of the Christian people, he said: "What is a great pain to me is that the Congress party is trying to hide their failures under the guard of misleading and canards being spread around. This was visible in Nagaland also and in Meghalaya I have followed closely they are trying to spread a news painting BJP as a communal and anti-Christian party."