Shah meets N-E leaders, discusses poll plans

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday asked party leaders in the north-east to work hard to ensure party’s victory in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Party’s Mizoram general secretary Vanlal Hmuaka said after meeting Shah, “He advised us to join hands with a regional party to fight the ruling Congress.”

Assembly elections in Mizoram is scheduled for later this year, while Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls next year along with the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP Arunachal Pradesh president Tapir Gao also met with Shah. “We discussed our party’s strategies, planning and organisational matters to win all the seats in the forthcoming polls.”

The saffron party has formed governments on its own in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura, and is an alliance partner in Manipur and Meghalaya.

Ahead of the meetings with the delegations from Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb led party leaders at an hourlong meeting with the BJP chief.

All meetings were attended by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, BJP north-east in-charge Ajay Jamwal, and North East Democratic Alliance convener Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Earlier, shah was welcomed by Nagaland chief minister N Biren Singh and party’s state unit president and MP Kh Bhabananda upon landing at the Imphal International Airport at around 12.30pm.

The BJP national chief will leave for Delhi Sunday morning.

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