BJP, IPFT MLAs to meet on March 6 in Tripura
ITANAGAR, Mar 4: The BJP and its pre-poll ally in Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), on Sunday exuded confidence that they would be able to form a stable government in the state as the numbers were on their side.
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the pre-poll allies have got a “near simple majority” in the 60-member assembly while NDPP leader and three-time Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said he was confident that their alliance will form the next government in Nagaland.
“We are in a comfortable position to form the next government. The NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have the support of one independent and one JD (U) MLAs which takes us to 32 seats,” Madhav told reporters here.
The BJP leader said the NDPP-BJP alliance will stake claim to form the government in the next few days.
In Meghalaya, NPP president Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad this evening and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.
“We met the governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent,” 40-year-old Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan at Shillong.
A delegation of three Congress leaders — Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and C P Joshi — had yesterday staked a claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the governor.
“We met the governor and sought his invitation to the single largest party to be called first to form the government as per convention,” former Union Minister Nath had told PTI.
The Congress won 21 seats out the 59 that went to polls last month. The party is 10 seats short of a simple majority. The Congress has been in power in the state for the last 10 years.
In Tripura, newly elected MLAs of the BJP and its ally IPFT in Tripura will meet here on 6 March to elect their leader, state BJP president Biplab Deb said here today.
The BJP has 35 MLAs and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has eight.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari will be present at the meeting, Deb told PTI.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other Union ministers are likely to attend the oath-taking ceremony. (PTI)
