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BJP and its alliance partner Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, IPFT are all set to snatch power from ruling CPI-M led Left Front.
Counting of votes for 59 Assembly constituencies in Tripura show 40 in favour of BJP allaiance. In Nagaland also, BJP and its alliance NDPP have reached halfway mark. Meghalaya is heading towards hung Assembly as per the latest trend.
In Tripura, BJP-IPTF alliance is making a clean sweep. The alliance is leading in 40 seats followed by CPIM 17 and CPI one. BJP alone is ahead in 32 seats while its alliance partner IPFT is leading in 8. Congress has failed to open its account. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is leading from Dhanpur while BJP state unit President Biplab Kumar Deb is leading from Banamalipur seat.
State PWD Minister and CPIM candidate Badal Choudury is also leading from Hrishyamukh seat.In Nagaland, BJP and its alliance partner Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, NDPP are leading in 33 assembly seats. While BJP is ahead in 11 constituencies, its alliance partner NDPP has established a lead in 22 seats. NPF is leading in 18, NPP in 2, JDU 2 and Independents 3.
NDPP candidate and Chief Neiphiu Rio were declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.
All the three Northeastern states have a 60-member Assembly, but polling was held for 59 seats each. Polling to Charilam (st) seat in Tripura was postponed until the 12th of this month due to the death of CPIM candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma. In Meghalaya, the election was countermanded in Williamnagar in the wake of the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast.
In Meghalaya, Congress candidate and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma have won both Ampati and Songsak seats. Party candidate and PWD Minister M.A.Lyngdoh retain his East Shillong constituency. She defeated her nearest BJP rival by over 5,000 votes. State Home Minister H.D.R.Lyngdoh lost to HSPDP candidate Samlin Malngiang by 622 votes in Sohiong reserved constituency.
The ruling Congress is leading in 20 seats. National Peoples Party is ahead in 16 followed by United Democratic Party 3, BJP 4, Independents and others 7. Senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh is ahead in East Shillong seat. UDP’s Metbah Lyngdoh is leading at Mairang while BJP’s J Antonius Lyngdoh is leading in North Shillong.
BJP leader Sanbor Shullai is also leading in South Shillong. UDP leader and former Chief Minister Dongkupar Roy is trailing in Shella seat and NPP candidate Agatha K. Sangma is trailing against the BJP candidate B. A. Sangma in South Tura constituency. A total of 261 candidates are in the fray including 32 women candidates. The Congress is contesting in 59 seats, the BJP in 47 and National Peoples Party in 53 seats.