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Assembly election 2018 results: BJP leading in Tripura, Cong in Meghalaya, BJP-NDP, NPF neck and neck in Nagaland

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 03, Mar 2018, 11:30 am IST | UPDATED: 03, Mar 2018, 12:10 pm IST

Assembly election 2018 results: BJP leading in Tripura, Cong in Meghalaya, BJP-NDP, NPF neck and neck in Nagaland Agartala/Shillong/Kohima: The CPI(M)-led Left Front was trailing the BJP and its ally in Tripura with early trends from 40 seats indicating that the Left was ahead in 17 seats while the saffron party was leading in 23 constituencies, according to Election Commission sources.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar was leading from Dhanpur constituency. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb and party MLA Sudip Roy Burman were leading in their respective seats of Banamlipur and Agartala.

In Agartala, BJP’s Sudip Roy Barman is leading by 2,715 votes. Biplab Deb from Banamalipur is also ahead by over 5000 votes.

The BJP was leading in 18 seats while its ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) was ahead in five seats in Tripura, according to EC sources. Election in 59 seats for the 60-member Assembly was held on February 18.

Polling was countermanded in one seat due to the death of a CPI(M) candidate.

In Meghalaya, the Congress was leading in 14 seats followed by the National Peoples Party in six seats, the United Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Front in four seats each and the BJP in two seats, as per the available trends. Independents were also leading in two seats. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was leading from Songsak. Polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly was held on February 27.

Trends available from Nagaland indicated that the BJP and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) were leading in ten seats. The saffron party and the NDPP were leading in five seats each.

Will Nagaland get its first woman MLA? Awan Konyak of the NDPP, one of the five women candidates in fray, is leading Eshak Konyak of the NPF by 1,320 votes in Aboi seat. Nagaland has never elected a woman MLA in the state’s 55-year history.

The ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF) was leading in nine seats while the National Peoples Party was leading in three seats. The JD(U) and Congress were leading in one seat each. Voting for the 59 seats in the 60-member Assembly was held on February 27 as NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio was elected uncontested from Northern Angami II seat.

Two exit polls have predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will dethrone the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura and consolidate its position in Meghalaya and Nagaland. The election results will be declared on the Election Commission of India’s website.

Ampareen Lyngdoh of the Congress wins East Shillong (Meghalaya) by huge margin.

Latest trends show the Left is ahead in 25 seats, while the BJP is leading in 34 in Tripura. In Meghalaya, the Congress is ahead in 21 seats, while the NPP leads in 15 and the BJP in six. In Nagaland, the NPF is leading in 32 seats, while the NDPP-BJP alliance is ahead in 24 seats.

BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma says: “Trends are encouraging. I am hopeful and confident that BJP will form the government in Tripura.”

“The trends in all three states point to a new political direction. It will have an effect on national politics as well. We are confident of forming government in all three,” says Union minister Kiren Rijiju, according to ANI.

Nagaland saw over 90% polling in 2013 but this time, however, the figure was nearly 10% less due to either voter apathy or poll-related violence which claimed one life and injured three.

The battle here is between the ruling Naga People’s Front and an alliance comprising newly-formed Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP.

Earlier this month, the BJP severed its 15-year-old alliance with NPF and joined hands with NDPP. The saffron party contested from 20 seats and NDPP from the rest 40.

The BJP had fielded 11 candidates in 2013 but secured just one seat and 1.75% of the total votes in that election with eight candidates forfeiting their deposits.

The exit polls say the BJP-NDPP combine will form the next government, but if NPF does well and manages to cobble up an alliance with Congress, NPP and others—the story could be different.

The NPF, with 47% vote share and 38 seats, retained power easily in 2013. But having lost the BJP as an ally and many party leaders joining the NDPP—the battle won’t be an easy one this time.

As per exit polls, the race is expected to be very close in Meghalaya—with National People’s Party (NPP) likely to emerge as the single largest party.

The regional party, which is an ally of the National Democratic Alliance or NDA at the Centre, contested the Meghalaya elections without any pre-poll tie-up with the BJP. It had won just two seats in 2013.

The BJP’s total vote share was just 1.27% five years ago and all its 13 candidates forfeited their deposits. This time, the saffron party has fielded 47 candidates and hopes to be part of the next government.

If no party wins a clear majority, the BJP and NPP could come together to form a government. There’s also a likelihood of Congress forging alliances with other regional parties and Independent candidates to stop the BJP and the NPP.

Congress is hoping the well-attended rallies and road shows of party president Rahul Gandhi would help it cross the tally of 29 it managed in 2013 polls.

The United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Garo National Council (GNC), which won 13 seats in 2013, and Independent candidates could prove to be decisive in government formation.

Tripura, which went to polls on February 18, recorded over 91% polling. The figures for Meghalaya and Nagaland, where voting took place on February 27, was nearly 85% and 80% respectively.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar is attempting a fifth consecutive term in office. The CPI(M)-led Left Front is expecting Sarkar’s clean image and performance would help them cross the halfway mark and more.

Unlike previous elections when the contest was between the Left Front and Congress, this time it’s a straight fight between the Left Front and the BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance.

Exit poll predictions

*The CVoter exit poll, along with that of Axis MyIndia and News24, predicts a stupendous rise of the BJP in Tripura. The Axis MyIndia and News24’s tally for the BJP-led NDA is 45-50 seats and 9-10 for the CPI (M)-led Left Front. According to the CVoter exit poll, there might be a neck-and-neck fight between the BJP — which has an alliance with IPFT — and the Left in Tripura. The CPI(M) is predicted to get 26-34 seats and the BJP’s alliance will get 24 to 32 seats in the 60-member assembly.

*In Meghalaya, the CVoter exit poll gives the ruling Congress 13-19 seats, while according to the Axis MyIndia’s exit poll, the Congress will emerge as the single largest party with 20 votes. The local outfit NPP will get 14, while the BJP is tipped to get 5 seats. In CVoter’s estimate, the NPP will get 17-23 seats and the BJP 4-8 seats in Meghalaya. Political observers believe a good show by the NPP and the BJP will open the possibility of a post-poll alliance between these two parties.

*In Nagaland, the CVoter exit poll gave the BJP-led NDA 25-31 seats ahead of the NPF with 19-25 seats and the Congress with 0-4 seats. Axis MyIndia did not predict absolute numbers saying “Nagaland was a very difficult state to conduct exit poll survey.” But it said that NPF has an edge. Meghalaya and Nagaland also have 60 assembly seats.
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