With less than two days remaining for the announcement of the results for Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly polls and exit polls favouring saffron' fortunes, the BJP is hoping to break the 25-year-old left stranglehold in Tripura, make a dent in the decade-old run of the Congress in Meghalaya and do well in Nagaland with the regional partners.
Exit polls have given verdict in favour of the BJP in Tripura where the party leaders also hope to oust the Manik Sarkar-led CPI-M Government.
The results for three State polls are to be announced on Saturday. The North-East has been on the radar of the Modi-Government from the day-one where it also gained considerable ground over last three years by winning Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh assembly polls.
With a total of 25 lok Sabha seats and 14 Rajya Sabha berths, the eight states of the region are crucial for the BJP to add up to its number in the Parliament. BJP leaders are confident that not only the party would win polls in Tripura but also form governments in Meghalaya and Nagaland also. All the top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spearheaded poll campaign in three North-Eastern States.
Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons, a Christian from Kerala, stayed put in Meghalaya as the BJP in- charge of the state with a predominant Christian population. In Nagaland, NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.
BJP is fighting the election in Nagaland in coalition and in alliance with the NDPP ( Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party ).
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.