PM Modi wants to unite Northeast under NEDA

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to “unite” the northeast and the six-party North-East Democratic Alliance should include all eight Chief Ministers from the region said BJP National President Amit Shah, at the meeting of NEDA, the alliance of non-Congress parties in the northeast. Addressing the meeting Amit Shah said that within these eight north eastern states, the state government was successful in implementing the NEDA.

The second conclave of the alliance in Delhi- attended by five chief ministers from the region . The BJP rules three of northeast’s eight states, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh; its allies in the NEDA another two, Nagaland and Sikkim. Assembly elections are due in the three non-NEDA states — Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Elections in Left-ruled Tripura and will be held later this year. Congress-ruled Mizoram and Meghalaya will go for polls early next year.

“It is our endeavour to unite all the northeastern states… Narendra Bhai (PM Modi) has called it the ‘Asthe Lakshmi’ Mr Shah said in his opening address at the conclave.

Mr Shah said PM Modi lists development in the northeast among his top priorities. The Prime Minister, he said, has made a “roster” to “ensure all ministers visit northeast regularly “A proper monitoring of this roster is being carried out,” he added.

Since its resounding victory in the general elections of 2014, the BJP had gone on an aggressive expansion plan and smart alliances in the northeast, a region where party had a negligible presence. Its success had been rapid – from zero, the party had notched up three states within the last one year.