With allies abandoning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the road to Lok Sabha elections is appears to be getting rockier for the BJP. Two days after the Asom Gana Parishad pulled support from the BJP in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, four other allies in the north east are reportedly rethinking their ties with the saffron party.
NDTV reported that Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma termed the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha as “unfortunate” and said that he would be discussing with his National People’s Party (NPP) leaders about snapping ties with the BJP.
“We as a Cabinet and as a government expressed our concerns about it (the Bill) and passed a resolution long time back. We do not support this at all. Regarding the future course of action, there are different parties in the coalition, so we will take a call on how to move forward,” Sangma told reporters in Meghalaya.
BJP’s allies in Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, all part of the 11-party North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), have also reportedly said they are mulling over the “future”, reported the Indian Express.
Mangal Debbarma, Assistant General Secretary of the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), told IE, ““We will be holding a meeting to discuss the issue of the passing of the Bill in Lok Sabha and decide on the future course of action.” IPFT had allied with the BJP for
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga told IE “We are very annoyed at the passing of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. We hope it is not passed in the Rajya Sabha. If it is, then we have to carefully discuss and decide on the next course of action.”
A press note issued by BJP’s ally in Nagaland, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), said “The (state) Cabinet deliberated on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and resolved to request the Centre to re-examine and review the Bill to ensure that it is in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution of India and the existing practices of the Nagas.”
Also Read: Assam: Ally Asom Gana Parishad Withdraws Support to BJP Over Citizenship Bill