National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has made convincing wins in the Northeast states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim and Tripura in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, confirming 16 Member of Parliaments for the alliance out of the total 25 seats in the eight NE states.
Meanwhile, the Congress too have made some gains winning in Manipur and Nagaland and retaining one seat in Meghalaya and three in Assam, bringing its total wins to 7.
Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and Zoram People’s Movement in Mizoram are yet to join any alliances.
Arunachal Pradesh
The BJP has retained both seats in the State. Kiren Rijiju was elected for the second time from Arunachal West while Tapir Gao won from Arunachal East. However, the vote percentage for the BJP saw a dip from 58.2% in 2019 to 48.87% in 2024.
The Party had also secured resounding majority in the State Legislative Assembly elections which was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, winning 46 of the total 60 seats.
Assam
The numbers remained unchanged in the State as in 2019 General Election with BJP winning 9 seats of the total 14 while its NDA allies United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have each won one seat each. The Congress Party has also kept three seats including Jorhat where Gaurav Gogoi triumphed.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH and former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal won decisively from the Dibrugarh constituency.
The BJP vote percentage in Assam has increased in the 2024 elections to 37.48% from 2019’s 36.05%.
Manipur
Despite all odds, the people of Manipur have spoken and chosen new representatives to speak for them in Delhi. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and Alfred Kanngam S Arthur, both from INC, have won the Parliamentary seats in the State.
Prior to the election, there were reports of armed men intimidating and threatening the public and the candidates during campaign meeting. Violence was also reported on polling day which led to repoll in 17 polling booths across the State.
The Congress made huge gains in the vote percentage as in the 2019 election, it received only 24.71% but in yesterday’s counting, it received 47.59%. The BJP vote percentage took a deep dive from 34.33% in 2019 to 16.58% in 2024. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) too lost its Outer Manipur seat.
Meghalaya
In perhaps the biggest shock from the Northeast states, National People’s Party (NPP) Agatha Sangma was defeated by Saleng A Sangma of INC at the Tura Parliamentary Constituency by over 1.5 lakh votes. Agatha Sangma is the daughter of former LS Speaker PA Sangma and sister to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. The Tura constituency was the stronghold of the Sangma family.
Meanwhile Voice of the People Party’s Dr Ricky Andrew J Syngkon has grasped the Shillong seat from INC’s Vincent H Pala by a margin of over 3.5 lakh votes. VPP is not in alliance with neither NDA nor INDIA alliance.
Mizoram
After forming the government in the State in December 2023, the Zoram People’s Movement has been successful in getting its candidate Richard Vanlalhmangaiha across the finish line. Vanlalhmangaiha defeated Mizo National Front’s K Vanlalvena by 68,288 votes.
Nagaland
People of Nagaland gave the country a major surprise by voting for INC candidate S Supongmeren Jamir despite of the Congress having nil MLAs in the State. Jamir, who is also the President of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee beat the ruling BJP backed NDPP candidate Dr Chumben Murry, an Advisor to CM Neiphiu Rio.
Sikkim
The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has clean swept the State Assembly and also retained the lone Lok Sabha seat. Indra Hang Subba was elected as MP for the second time yesterday.
In the State Legislative Assembly polls, SKM, an NDA alliance party, won 31 out of the 32 constituencies.
Tripura
BJP comfortably secured both seats in the State with Kriti Devi Debbarman winning the Tripura East PC and former CM Biplab Kumar Deb winning Tripura west. The Party had replaced Pratima Bhowmik, Union Minister of State of Social Justice and Empowerment, with Deb for the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat. BJP received a massive 70.72% vote percentage compared to 49.03 in 2019.
