Poll time in NE

After the poll debacle in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Congress is hopeful of doing well in the three North-Eastern states. According to an internal assessment made by the party, Congress is all set to return to power in Nagaland; hopeful of retaining power in Meghalaya and putting up an improved performance in Tripura.

According to the central leadership of the party winning back Nagaland will be a no mean achievement. Rather, it would strengthen the party’s claim that Congress is the only party to combat terrorism effectively, which in the process will dilute the BJP allegation that it (Congress) is soft towards terror. As three BJP-ruled states will go to poll by the end of this year, Congress has already started planning to maximize the gains from Nagaland. The leadership is in no mood to heed to the advice that there is still some time before the voting actually takes place and it will be premature to count the gains from now on. On the other hand, some leaders of the party is optimistic enough that the party will manage to get at least 35 seats in a house of 60.

But the optimism of the central leaders is not matching with that of state leaders. The state leadership is putting the figure around 25. According to Congress insiders in Nagaland, the party could manage to touch the magic figure of 31, if the leadership did not succumb to the pulls and pressures of some senior leaders while choosing the party candidates. It may be mentioned here that the party needed nearly three weeks to name 60 candidates, that too in three installments, which actually frustrated the party workers and took out a lot of strings from the Congress campaign. However, the party’s state leadership is sure that Congress will emerge as the single-largest party and will manage to form the government with the help of smaller parties.

Regarding Meghalaya, the party is confident to keep intact its position. Meghalaya electorate may not give a clear mandate in favour of the party, but that will not block the party’s way to retain power in this North-Eastern State. Rather, the party is optimistic of doing well in Garo Hills notwithstanding the return of P. A. Sangma to state politics. Congress leadership claims that the support base of Mr. Sangma among the Garo people is eroding fast and this election will prove that beyond doubt. However, to know the reality, one will have to wait till the counting day.

Congress, it appears, has given up hope of returning to power in Tripura. The party leadership is blaming internal feuds within the party for this. According to one senior Congress leader, looking after the North-Eastern states, infighting ruined the chances of the party in Tripura. The party will now have to remain satisfied by putting up a close fight, he opined. The situation is so bad that TPCC president Samir Ranjan Barman had to admit that the party was facing serious trouble following internal strife which could harm its prospects in the elections. “The AICC has taken the matter seriously and we are also trying to track down the persons responsible for damaging the party prospects in the election,” Mr. Barman warned, adding that the decision with regard to disciplinary action against the dissidents would be taken by the appropriate authorities soon. The Congress has fielded candidates in 49 seats while the rest 11 in the 60-member Assembly were allotted to its ally INPT

The party leadership is hopeful that the election results in the three North-Eastern states will help to boost the moral of the party workers and supporters, which is low at present as for a long time the party has failed to achieve any noteworthy electoral success. Some leaders feel that the party’s electoral fortune may take an up ward turn from these North-Eastern states.

Never had any single party formed a government on its own in Meghalaya’s political history. However, the incumbent Congress party is confident of changing the trend in its favour by forming a government without any alliance.

With barely a week left, the Congress has hit the campaign trail hard, with a host of leaders lined up to visit the State, today it was Union Minister of State for Labour, Oscar Fernandes telling reporters that the Congress would form a government on its own strength.

“The Congress would emerge as the single largest party and form a government of its own,” Fernandes averred.

But, the political wind seems to have already unsettled the Congress party with the electorates expressing unhappiness over its performance during the past five years.

Presently, the Congress heads the MDA Government with the support of four regional parties – United Democratic Party, Meghalaya Democratic Party, Hill State People Democratic Party and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement.

The Congress has fielded candidates in all the 60 Assembly constituencies, with Chief Minister DD Lapang leading the race seeking re-election from Nongpoh. However, the incumbent Chief Minister’s popularity has plummeted.

Significantly, a MDP candidate, Robinson Dkhar, withdrew his candidature from Nongpoh constituency in support of UDP candidate Dr Celestine Lyngdoh, touted to be a favourite in upsetting Lapang. “Yes Dkhar has withdrawn in support of me,” Lyngdoh confirmed over the phone.

In 2003, Congress fielded 60 candidates and bagged just 22 seats. The party, however, increased its tally in the House after six Nationalist Congress Party MLA switched over. This time too, the Congress has fielded candidates in all 60 seats.

The biggest threat the Congress faces, is from its stronghold in Garo Hills (24 seats), with the NCP going full throttle holding the Congress responsible for the death of nine persons and several injuries in the 2005 police firing.

The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has warned of action against rebel candidates and leaders for their alleged anti-party activities ahead of the Assembly elections on February 23.

TPCC president Samir Ranjan Barman said that the party was facing serious trouble following internal strife which could harm its prospects in the elections.

“The AICC has taken the matter seriously and we are also trying to track down the persons responsible for damaging the party prospects in the election,” Barman said, adding that the decision with regard to disciplinary action against the dissidents would be taken by the appropriate authorities soon. The Congress has fielded candidates in 49 seats while the rest 11 in the 60-member Assembly were allotted to its ally INPT.

Meanwhile, in the Ramchandraghat and Pramodenagar seats, the NCT and INPT aspirants were pitted against each other.

At the same time, in Kurti constituency, dissident Congress candidate Abdul Matin Choudhury remained in the fray as an Independent with the official party nominee Nurul Haque.

In Sabroom, another rebel Congress aspirant Premtosh Debnath would contest as the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) candidate. However, the Congress bid to put up a direct fight against the ruling Left Front in all the seats had virtually fallen through as after the withdrawal of nominations, a triangular contest was on the cards in at least four constituencies.

“It is the INPT that played spoilsport in a broad-based anti-Left platform in these constituencies. It is because of their objections that even in one seat, the Congress could not tie up with us,” NCT MLA Animesh Debbarma rued.

Political parties in Tripura are generating business for the residents engaged in the task of making flags and posters ahead of the State elections slated for February 23.

“We are getting orders for printing of posters in thousands though we had presumed that we would get orders only for a few hundred posters. The orders are increasing day-by-day. Our machines are printing nonstop for the last 20-25 days, and we are yet to complete the target,” said K Dey, flex printing unit owner.

The banners displayed in every nook and corner of the street as a part of publicity has given scope to the people to earn money.

For the people involved in the making of posters and other campaign props, election is a golden opportunity as it generates good income.

With the introduction of computers and graphics, the poster making technique has also undergone tremendous change.

“This is electronic age so people are laying more stress on designing to get unique pattern with the help of graphics generated through computers. The demand of these computer designed graphics is high, as people now don’t go for handmade work and look for variety resulting in the increase of orders,” said Ajay Das, an owner of printing unit.

Tailors are also busy making flags, carpenters are constructing frames for fixing posters, flexes and banners while the flex makers along with the graphic designers are working round the clock designing posters and fulfilling orders from various political parties.

As a part of their election campaign, parties are actively engaged in organizing big rallies and meetings.

Voting in will take place on February 23 and counting of ballots will take place on March 7.

The five-year term of the 60-member state assembly ends in March.

About 50 tribal and other rebel groups are fighting against Central rule, demanding either independence or greater political autonomy in the State.

The rebels accuse Centre for exploiting the region’s rich mineral resources and neglecting the local economy.

Besides projecting themselves as chief ministerial candidates, three senior Congress leaders in Meghalaya have already talked about a coalition government in the event of a hung Assembly. The three leaders are Chief Minister DD Lapang, former Chief Minister Salseng C Marak and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.

Salseng C Marak has already made his intention known. Marak told The Sentinel over telephone from Resulbelapara today, “I have never aspired for any post, but never shed any responsibility bestowed on me. I have taken the task of being the Chief Minister and completed my five-year tenure from 1998-2003 due to the faith bestowed on me by my party MLAs and workers, and if it comes to my way again, I will take it humbly.”

Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said, “I am a contender for the chief minister’s post”. While making his contention clear, Dr Marak took a swipe at the NCP by stating, “The multiplicity of choice that our party has should not be read as a clamour for the big post. We want to prove that our set-up gives people a choice, It’s unlike the NCP which has no other projected leader than PA Sangma”.

Similarly, Chief Minister DD Lapang is another contender. With his links with AICC leaders, Lapang is always a man in the race for the chief minister’s chair, should the Congress come back to power.

More so, with a hung Assembly looming large, Lapang and Marak are also talking about a coalition with like-minded parties. “Congress is open to alliance with any parties, including regional parties and the NCP, except the BJP in the event of a hung Assembly after the elections,” Lapang told newsmen today. Marak said, “Though we know that our party will get the maximum seats, we are ready to form the Government with like-minded parties.”

The campaign for the Nagaland Assembly elections, scheduled for March 5, was gradually picking up pace as various national, regional and local parties geared up to garner support for their candidates.

The Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF), the major coalition partner of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government, with their star campaigner former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, had been organizing rallies at various places in Kohima and Phek district.

The NPF declared a list of 55 candidates for the 60-member Assembly elections and the list was likely to be the final, as they had left five seats for their DAN coalition partner candidates.

The main rival of the NPF - the Congress was yet to kickstart its campaign, although some national leaders were expected to arrive in the State to woo the voters.

The Congress had already declared its list of candidates for all the 60 seats of the Assembly constituencies.

One of the partners of the DAN coalition, the BJP, had also declared the list of its candidates for 24 seats throughout the state and it was likely to be their final list.

Meanwhile, the BJP was also yet to start its campaign, although national spokesman Rajiv Pratap Ruddy had informed that the party would bring star campaigners, including party president Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu, Hema Malini and Navjot Singh Sidhu to canvass in the North-Eastern state.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also declared a list of eight candidates while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) would contest on seven seats. The Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) also fielded two candidates.

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