Gujarat swears by Hindutva, Focus shifts to Christian states in NE

Nirendra Dev *

Many Nagas prefer BJP hoping to accelerate development. Unprecedented success for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hindutva laboratory, Gujarat, is bound to have its mega impact in national politics.

The 'Moditva phenomenon' was at its best in the just concluded polls in Gujarat. Congress did well to wrest power again in Himachal Pradesh. But with a wafer-thin majority Congress will face trouble ensuring stability.

Focus will gradually shift to northeastern states where elections are due in two Christian-dominated states of Meghalaya and Nagaland and also in another BJP-ruled Tripura -- which also accounts for a substantial number of tribal and Christian voters.

The just concluded polls and next year's elections in three northeastern states and also Mizoram and three agrarian states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and also in Karnataka will set the ball rolling for 2024 general elections,

Jubilant BJP leaders should send a bouquet to Arvind Kejriwal for contesting and campaigning hard in Gujarat. They will also thank Rahul Gandhi for staying away from Gujarat. These might be a combo -- a delicious recipe for the voters to embrace the Moditva much more enthusiastically preparing ground for 2024 polls when Hindu voter's folk hero Namo will try for a hat-trick at the national level.

In Nagaland, doubts persist whether polls will be held on time or it would be the default pension for some players in the corridors of power at Kohima. But ensuing polls are more than serious in Meghalaya. In Tripura, which was once a communist forte, the saffron party will hope for an easier contest with rivals Congress and CPI-M marginalised. A new tribal-based party may make a difference, but it cannot win more than 20 seats.

In Meghalaya, defection games will start soon in a big way. Three MLAs who resigned could rush to Delhi anytime later this week to embrace BJP. The BJP’s mega promise is to provide a corruption-free government focused on people’s socio economic development.

The hilly state of nearly 3 million people has 75 percent Christian population and yet the BJP has plans to garner votes. BJP's national vice president and in-charge Meghalaya is a Naga veteran M Chuba Ao. He is confident of a much better show this time as compared to two-seats win in 2018.

Nalin Kohli then BJP in-charge of Meghalaya is now in-charge of Nagaland and he has famously inked the 20:40 formula pact probably with much enthusiasm. He was pleasing his bosses and helping a new found friend in the hills of Northern Angami. But in Northern Angami II, BJP mandal workers pledge to sweat it out.

The NPP of Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya is faced with an anti incumbency and a series of corruption allegations. Money flows during election time in Meghalaya, 'some people say' as goes the cliche about Fox News channel.

The Congress was in power for 15 years till it was ousted in 2018; but the grand old party has lost veterans such as Mukul Sangma to Trinamool and the party base has crumbled too. In Baptist-majority Nagaland, the BJP shares power in a coalition led by NDPP and does not even mind playing second fiddle.

Christians, who make up 90 percent of Nagaland’s 1.95 million people, may want to give a pleasant surprise to the BJP. The Central Nagaland and especially Mokokchung district is witnessing a pro-saffron wave despite lackluster performance by state unit president Temjen Ima Along.

Nagas are at crossroads, look toward a Solution for peace and extortion-free life. Many Nagas see merits in the pro-Hindutva BJP presuming this will accelerate their development. Congress is nowhere in the battle scene and the NPF is also a victim of its own power-politics shenanigans.

In states where non-Hindus are politically decisive, the BJP always smartly employed a singular political strategy of aligning with regional parties. Things are changing a bit in Meghalaya. But in Mizoram, the saffron party does not mind as long as the Zoramthanga-led MNF continues in office.

In Meghalaya, the BJP is reportedly also working to attract “non-Christian local tribal groups” who continue to practice age-old aboriginal customs and socio-religious practices. Key BJP leaders on Sunday, Dec 11 met in Delhi on ensuing assembly elections in three northeastern states Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Among others party national president J P Nadda was present at the meeting along with organisational general secretary B L Santhosh. Details of the meeting have not been shared. Sources merely said it was a routine and preliminary meeting. Office bearers from some states attended the meeting, sources said.

The challenges are multiple for the saffron party to make deeper penetration. In Tripura it may have easier contest as arch rivals Congress and Left parties are marginalised. In Meghalaya, BJP state leaders want to go alone and hence there are issues about continuation of alliance with the NPP led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

In Nagaland too, things are not as simple as was expected even a few months back. The progress in peace talks and developments related to ENPO have made things further complex.