BJP announces candidates for Nagaland, Meghalaya assembly elections

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party announced the names of 20 candidates for the Nagaland assembly elections. The decision was made after discussions at its central election committee. 

The party has decided to field the Nagaland state unit head Temjen Imna Along from the Alongtaki assembly seat.

The Central Election Committee of BJP also released the names of the candidates for the Meghalaya assembly election after the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) approved them at a meeting held on Wednesday here.

Rituraj Sinha, one of the national spokespersons of the BJP, said that the BJP leadership has decided to contest on all 60 seats in Meghalaya to empower the state.

"We are hopeful that the people have trust in PM Modi to provide corruption-free, fast-track development in the state," he remarked.

ALSO READ | February polls: Shifting of political allegiance by MLAs now hits Nagaland

Temjen Imna Along, Meghalaya BJP chief, said that the BJP will fight the election in alliance with NDPP on the seat-sharing in the ratio of 40:20.

Briefing the media, Nalin Kohli, one of the national spokespersons of the BJP, said that the election in Nagaland and other states will be fought on PM Modi’s works of development, peace and concern for the Northeast states. "These are the critical factors which drive Nagaland’s voters. Home Minister Amit Shah has ensured peace in several parts of the NE. Almost 85% of AFSPA has been removed which has brought great relief," he said.

The BJP further claimed that several peace accords were signed during its rule in the northeast which were pending for decades.

"PM Modi has also established that the northeast is an integral part of India”, Rituraj Sinha told the media.

ALSO READ | Nagaland legislators’ union defies tribal body’s ‘boycott Feb 27 elections’ diktat