‘No hung Assembly in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland’, claims Assam CM

Guwahati, Feb 28 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted on Tuesday that there won’t be any hung Assembly in Tripura, Nagaland or Meghalaya, contrary to what several exit polls have indicated.

Instead, the NDA will form governments with complete majority in all the three northeastern states, Sarma said while talking to mediapersons here.

The counting of votes for the three states which went to the polls this month will be taken up on Thursday.

No NDA (National Democratic Alliance) partner will form an alliance with either the Congress or the Trinamool Congress after the results are announced on Thursday, said Sarma, who is also the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

Hung legislatures are expected in Tripura and Meghalaya, according to a number of exit polls, with the NDA emerging as the dominant alliance.

However, most exit polls suggest that the BJP and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) are likely to win a second term in Nagaland.

When asked about the CM candidates for the three states, Sarma said that Tripura and Nagaland would maintain the status quo, putting an end to rumours that Tripura may undergo yet another change of leadership.

“While we are in a coalition government in Nagaland, Tripura will have a BJP Chief Minister,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya will be chosen after taking into account the number of seats BJP wins, he added.

The BJP did not form a pre-poll alliance with any of the parties in Meghalaya despite being the part of NPP-led government for the last five years.

In Nagaland and Meghalaya, the governments are currently led by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the National People’s Party (NPP), respectively, while Tripura is at present governed by the BJP.

–IANS

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