NEDA to exist despite many alliance partners fighting polls

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav Sunday said the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) will "continue" to exist despite many of its constituents contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections separately.

The NEDA is a "development alliance" and it will "continue" to exist, Madhav told a press conference here.

"We are very confident that after the polls, all these parties will together support the new government to be formed by the NDA," the BJP leader said.

The most important NEDA member, to contest the elections separately, is Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma-led NPP.

The NPP has decided to put up candidates in all the 25 constituencies of the region.

The other NEDA allies that are fielding candidates against the BJP are the IPFT in Tripura and the MNF in Mizoram.

"In some seats, our NEDA partners after due diligence decided to contest separately. We welcome their decision.

"Electorally they wanted to have their candidates for some seats. Good luck to them. The alliance will continue to exist," Madhav said.

The BJP leader expressed hope that the saffron party will have more representation from the region after the 2019 general elections.

In Assam, the BJP will contest from 10 seats and its allies -- the AGP in three seats and the BPF in one seat, Madhav said.

"We are fighting 10 seats in Assam and are confident that we will win all of them. We also helping the alliance partners for their victory in rest of the seats," he added.

Asked if the BJP has an understanding with the NPP in Arunachal Pradesh, where over a dozen BJP legislators and ministers have resigned and joined the NPP, Madhav replied in the negative and said that many people go to another party when they do not get ticket from one party.

"It is not a setback. We are confident of winning the Assembly election... In Arunachal Pradesh, our candidates are fighting both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. We believe they will win comfortably.

Madhav said that BJP has two candidates each in Tripura and Manipur and they will perform well, while the saffron party is supporting the NDPP in Nagaland.

Mentioning the importance of the region, Madhav said, "The prime minister will come at least thrice to campaign in the Northeast.