New Delhi: With just days left for the all-important Assembly elections in the national capital, both the Congress and the BJP are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters from the eight Northeastern states who are settled in Delhi. There are nearly half lakh voters from the Northeast even though the combined population is comparatively higher since many of them are students and floating population who have their names registered in their respective states.
The Congress has geared up all its Northeast leaders including those in the national capital. A meeting of the Northeast MPs Forum has been convened on Thursday to chalk out last minute strategies. Both Congress MPs from Meghalaya – Vincent Pala and Wansuk Syiem – will attend.
Elections to the Delhi Assembly will be held on December 4.
The Congress and the BJP are pulling all strings to woo them with bunch of promises, including special arrangements in police stations for people hailing from the Northeast. The prime focus of the parties, however, is on the minority voters which is about half of the total NE votes in Delhi who have moved to Delhi from minority-dominated states like Assam and Tripura.
Several minority ministers, MLAs and ex-MLAs have been scouring minority dominated areas in the national capital.
The BJP has made a number of promises in its main manifesto that was released at a function here on Tuesday. On Wednesday evening a special manifesto aimed at wooing the North East populace was released.
The Congress, on the other hand, has adopted a different strategy. Unlike the BJP, it has not brought out any special manifesto targeting the voters from Northeast. Instead, it has flown in hoards of Congress leaders including State ministers, MPs, MLAs, ex-MP and ex-MLAs from the North East and has directed them to campaign in localities dominated by the people hailing from the region.
Significantly, AICC has appointed Assam PCC president, Bhubaneswar Kalita as election in-charge of the party for Delhi. The elected representatives are meeting people of various associations like Assam Association, Mizo Citizens’ Forum, and organisations representing the Manipuri, Naga, Arunachali, Khasi and Garo population, besides students’ unions.