Northeast Elections, Left wins Tripura, NPF bags Nagaland, Cong Meghalaya

mangaloretoday.com/CNN /IBN

New Delhi, Feb 28, 2013: It was a repeat of the 2008 Assembly elections in the three northeast states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya as the incumbent parties came to power in all the three states. In Tripura, the CPI(M) registered its fifth consecutive victory with wins in 49 seats. In Nagaland, the Naga Peoples Front retained power with wins in 37 seats. In Meghalaya, the Congress emerged as the single largest party with wins in 29 seats, but fell short of majority by two seats. It now remains to be seen whether it will yet again form a coalition with the UDP like the last time to come back to power in the state.

Tripura: Left wins for the fifth consecutive time

The Left Front registered a massive victory in Tripura with the CPI(M) sweeping 49 seats and came back to power for the fifth consecutive time in the state. Manik Sarkar, who won the Dhanpur Assembly seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Shah Alam by 6,017 votes, is set to be the Chief Minister once again.

"This is a great victory for the Left Front and shows its popularity and public support. Good governance is one of the key factors for the thumping victory," gloated CPI(M) spokesperson Gautam Das. "People voted for the Left to establish peace and development in all sectors," Das said.

 

The CPI(M) led by Manik Sarkar, which has taken credit for ending the four-decade-old insurgency in the state and ensuring peace and communal harmony, projected Tripura as a model state in terms of good governance having topped the list in the implementation of MNREGA during the poll campaign. The CPI(M) also highlighted the 15 awards it received from the Centre for successful implementation of various schemes.

The February 14, 2013 voting decided the fate of 249 candidates, including 15 women and many Independents, in 60 constituencies of the state assembly. Over 2,500 officials, including counting supervisors and counting assistants, have been deployed for counting ballots in 60 halls at 17 venues, an official said.

The northeastern state of Tripura made electoral history when a record 93.57 per cent of the 2.3 million voters exercised their franchise.

The Left Front has been in power since 1978, barring one term during 1988 to 1993. In 2008, the Left Front registered a thumping victory. The CPM alone won 46 seats and partners Communist Party of India and Revolutionary Socialist Party secured respectively one and two seats. The Congress bagged 10 seats and the INPT one.

Nagaland: NPF retains power

Ruling Naga Peoples Front returned to power with an absolute majority in Nagaland winning 37 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Prominent among those who were re-elected were Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who won Northern Angami II seat for the sixth consecutive time by 12671 votes, and will look to retain the post for the third straight time in the 12th Nagaland Assembly. Rio defeated Congress rival Kevise Sogotsu.

Speaker Kiyanilie Peseyie won Western Angami seat for the third time defeating his Congress rival Asu Keyho by 1000 votes. NPF, which was the major partner in the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, had fielded candidates in all the seats.

Polling was held in 59 of the 60 seats as the Congress candidate of Tuensang Sadar seat P Chuba Chang died before the polling day on February 23. Congress, which contested in 57 seats, is trailing far behind winning in four and leading in just two seats, while NCP has won in two seats and is leading in another two.

Among the Congress winners are Nagaland PCC chief S I Jamir from Dimapur II constituency where he drubbed his nearest independent rival Savi Liegise by 1615 votes. JD(U), which contested in three seats, won one seat and independents in 3. Independents were leading in three other seats.

BJP, which entered the fray in 11 seats, got its maiden win in Tizit. Of the two women candidates, Rakhila who was fielded from Tuensang Sadar II seat by BJP was defeated by NPF. The result of the other woman candidate Yangeria, who contested as an independent from Mokokchong town, is yet to be announced.

Meghalaya: Congress emerges as single largest party

The ruling Congress party came back to power after emerging as the single largest party in the state and winning 29 seats in Meghalaya. The Congress was however short of majority by two seats. It remains to be seen whether it will yet again form a coalition with the UDP like the last time to come back to power in the state. Veteran Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) leader Hoping Stone Lyngdoh retained his Nongstoin seat for the eighth consecutive term.

Election officials said his party colleague Ardent M Basaiawmoit retained Nongkrem seat. HSPDP candidates were leading in the three other constituencies. Prominent Congress candidates who won include Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong, Urban Affairs Minister Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Ronnie V Lyngdoh and PN Syiem.

Former deputy chief minister and Congress working president Deborah C Marak defeated Marcuise N Marak of the National People’s Party by 2,877 votes. Before the vote count began on Thursday morning, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who is set to be re-elected from Ampati for the fifth time, voiced confidence that the Congress would win again.

Lone woman legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh retained her urban 16 East Shillong seat, edging out her nearest rival and former deputy chief minister BM Lanong of the UDP by over 4000 votes.

The Congress fielded candidates in all 60 constituencies. In 2008, the Congress emerged as the single party with 25 seats, falling short of six for a clear majority.

Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) retained his seat from South Shillong. United Democratic Party (UDP) leaders Bindo M Lanong and JA Lyngdoh were among the prominent losers.