Winds of change starting to blow in NE?

New Delhi: Not many people know that the socialists have had an impact in the Northeast since the days of the Janata Dal. Nitish Kumar’s party has been in good shape in at least three states - Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Six of its MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh were lured in by BJP and merged with their party. In the elections this year, six MLAs of Nitish’s party have won. So, as soon as they change their direction, the wind has started changing in Northeast. In Manipur itself, earlier there was an opposition of five Congress MLAs and one Independent, which has now become 11 MLAs. On the other hand, BJP’s allies in both Meghalaya and Nagaland have shown their attitude.

NPP leader Konrad Sangma, heading a fiveparty government in Meghalaya, has said his party will not align with BJP in next year’s polls. The BJP is still a part of the government but Sangma has made it clear that both the parties will contest the elections separately. Recently, the Meghalaya Police arrested a senior functionary of the BJP organisation, who was running a brothel at a farm house. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition were also found from there. In Nagaland also BJP’s ally NDPP has rubbished reports of merger with BJP. CM Neiphiu Rio has said his party will contest 40 of the 60 seats in the state and leave 20 for the BJP