Guwahati: The newly-floated joint political platform called North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) which has been initiated by the BJP, poses threat to the Congress that has dominant presence in the region.
In the wake of emphatic victory in Assam Assembly election, the BJP’s national leadership formed the NEDA to consolidate the party’s ground in the region with support and coordination of like-minded regional political parties in various states of the region.
As on date, besides leading a coalition government in Assam with allies, regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), the BJP has extended support to non-Congress governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA in the Centre.
The architect of the BJP’s landslide Assembly election victory in Assam, Himanta Bishwa Sharma has been appointed at the convenor of the NEDA and entrusted with the responsibility to be the link between the party and its allies in N-E states.
“The main objective of the NEDA is to work out state-specific strategy in respect of like-minded regional parties. For instance, in Manipur having a favourable demographic pattern, the BJP hopes to take on the ruling Congress with support from regional parties there; however, in case of Meghalaya the BJP will help regional allies to consolidate ground against the ruling Congress. The NEDA will have a full-fledged headquarter in Guwahati,’’ Sharma said.
Sharma, the convenor of NEDA, has been asked by the BJP president Amit Shah to remain in constant touch with regional allies in the North East and travel to the states of the region on regular basis every month.
“The NEDA is a brainchild of party president Amit Shah who has set a target of winning 20 out of total 25 Lok Sabha seats in the North East in the next parliamentary polls in 2019,” Sharma added.
