GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister and BJP’s strongman in the Northeast – Himanta Biswa Sarma – has attributed the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) electoral losses in the states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur to a particular religion voting against the saffron party.
Speaking to the media in Guwahati, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of the BJP-led Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said that a particular religion (believed to be Christians) voted against the BJP or its allies.
“Regarding results in Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya my specific observation is that leaders from a particular religion – who usually do not get into politics – decided to fight the NDA,” said Assam CM and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday (June 04).
He added: “That religion has tremendous followers in those states. No one can fight with a religion, it’s political. Usually, they don’t interfere in politics, but this time they did.”
Notably, while Nagaland and Meghalaya are Christian-majority states, Christianity is the second most followed religion in Manipur.
Recently, Christian groups across the Northeast have voiced dissatisfaction over BJP-backed groups targeting Christian institutions.
Also read: Congress victories in Manipur is a tight slap on Modi’s face: Jairam Ramesh
In the two Lok Sabha seats of Tura and Shillong in Meghalaya, the BJP had supported the candidates fielded by NDA constituent – National People’s Party (NPP).
However, both the NPP candidates, Agatha Sangma (Tura) and Ampareen Lyngdoh (Shillong), tasted defeat at the hands of Saleng A Sangma (Congress) and Ricky Andrew J Syngkon (VPP).
In the two Lok Sabha seats of Inner and Outer Manipur, candidates of the BJP and its ally Naga People’s Front (NPF) Thounaojam Basanta Singh and Kachui Timothy Zimik also faced humiliating defeats.
Both the Inner and Outer Manipur seats were bagged by the Congress party.
While A Bimol Akoijam secured win in the Meitei-majority Inner Manipur seat, the Outer Manipur seat was bagged Alfred Kanngam S Arthur.
On the other hand, the Congress scripted history by winning the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland after a gap of 20 years.
Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir defeated his nearest rival Chumben Murry of the NDPP, a BJP ally, by a margin of 50,984 votes.