Elections in all three states are witnessing a shift in alliances as each political outfit aims to make the best of ongoing developments for their own political gain. From unlikely alliances in Tripura to the decimation of opposition in Nagaland, the 2023 elections will have a deep impact on the region’s politics in the long run. The three states together send five MPs to the Lok Sabha. While it may be small numerically, what happens here will leave a mark on the politics of the region before the 2024 elections.
For the BJP, winning the elections individually or through alliances is a matter of maintaining its hold on state assemblies. Four of the party’s 11 CMs come from the north east. It seeks to return to power in Tripura and win in Meghalaya, both on its own but is relying on regional outfits in Nagaland. For the Congress, as has been the case for some elections now, the party lost its stronghold across the region and the states and is now fighting for survival. From unlikely alliances in Tripura to fighting alone in Meghalaya, the party’s weak position might only allow it to dent the prospects of other parties across the three states.
The north east continues to face pressures from identity politics, border conflicts, and insurgency and in spite of its numerically small political influence, has an influential impact on national politics. For now, elections in three states appear to be dominated by local outfits with state-level and tribal-identity issues hegemonising the electoral fight.
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