Confident of BJP bagging 8 NE states by Nov next year: Sarma

Assam's Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said he is confident that the BJP, along with its allies, would come to power in all the eight north-eastern states by November next year.
He said the new mission for the party is to be in power in all the eight north-eastern states.
"As of now, we have five states with us... As BJP and with our allies. Recently, we had a convention on north-east political parties. Our national president has said that we should get eight out of eight. This is a new mission for us," Sarma told PTI here.
Asked about resignation of some BJP leaders in Meghalaya over the Centre's ban on sale of cattle in animal markets for slaughter, Sarma said the party has clarified in no uncertain terms that it does not want to interfere with the food habit of anybody.

"I think if somebody is eating something which they feel is good for them, culturally, they feel that it is part of their food habit, we are no one to ask them to change that.
"So, we have said in no uncertain terms, while we like that people should have certain food habits, we do not want to impose that. Because, our liking should not be imposed on somebody else," he said.

The party has told Meghalaya BJP leaders that it does not want to interfere in the food habits, Sarma said.
"We have told them categorically and it has nothing to do with election. We are saying if you have a particular food habit, continue with that. We have no issue," he said, adding those issues are "of the past and we have gone beyond that."

Sarma was in Hyderabad to attend the GST Council meeting on Saturday.
"I think by February 2018, two states -- Meghalaya and Tripura -- are going for election. We should have both. Then (in) November 2018, Mizoram is going for election. I think we will have that also," he said.
"I am confident that by November 2018, we will have all the eight states with BJP or with our allies," Sarma said.