In its efforts to drum up support in the north-east, the BJP has turned its focus on the Christian dominated states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur.
Under the banner of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a conglomerate of local political outfits founded by the BJP last month, the party general secretary Ram Madhav will host a meeting in Guwahati on Wednesday, in which various political and religious leaders of north-east, including those from the Christian community, will participate.
“For the first time the BJP is working in Christian dominated areas. We are moving ahead, looking forward to build new relationships,” Himanta Biswa Sarma, the convenor of NEDA, told The Hindu .
Three Chief Ministers —T.R. Zeliang from Nagaland, Kalikho Pul from Arunachal Pradesh and Sarbananda Sonowal from Assam — will also attend the meeting. The key agenda of the meeting is to finalise the charter of the NEDA and appoint several secretaries in order to generate some momentum. The party will also host a conference next month in which BJP president Amit Shah will deliver a speech.
Mr.Sarma said that the BJP expects to win 20 out of 25 seats in the region along with its regional allies. Since Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur are Christian dominated States, Mr.Sarma said that the party was focusing on the tribal aspect of these States, deploying rhetoric charged with cultural nuances.
“People have a specific culture and identity. Like in Assam, we are positive that we will work effectively with our tribal brothers and sisters,” he said.
Mr.Sarma said that the binding factor between the BJP and the parties that have joined the NEDA is to ensure the departure of the Congress from the entire north-eastern region. “We are getting a good response,” Mr.Sarma said.
