Shillong: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has started the process of bringing regional parties together from across the region to form a North East Secular Front.
UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh on Wednesday said that the matter of forming the front has been discussed since leaning or depending on Delhi-centric parties is short-lived.
“We are trying to get all regional forces together and the matter is at different stages of talks”, he said.
Stating that the party is trying to get all the North East-based political parties on board, including AGP and MNF, he added that the idea has been floated since regionalism needs to remain relevant besides the need to maintain a distance from mainstream political parties.
Lyngdoh also said the response from the parties has been very good and that the idea is going to take shape and direction after the autonomous district council elections.
“This idea will be in the interest of regional politics of North East”, he added.
He also said that the idea will definitely materialise as the regional parties cannot be dependent on mainland parties since they have their own agenda.
It may be mentioned that the UDP has already dissociated itself with the North East Democratic Alliance, a platform created by the BJP earlier for the regional parties of the North East.