Guwahati: The counting of votes for the three northeastern states Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland assemblies began at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Elections were held in February in the three northeastern states starting with Tripura on February 16, Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27.
Strong voting turnouts were seen in the three northeastern states with Tripura having an overall turnout of 86 percent. Similar results were seen in Nagaland and Meghalaya which held elections later in the month. Both states saw turnouts of more than 81 percent.
According to the majority of exit poll predictions, Meghalaya is heading towards a hung house with the National People’s Party (NPP) led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma emerging as the single largest party.
The outgoing CM has also suggested a potential post-election cooperation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to establish a government in the state in light of the exit poll’s projections.
Meanwhile, polls in Tripura indicate that the BJP would triumph with ease. The numbers for the ruling party are expected to drop from what they were in the most recent assembly elections, according to several exit polls.
As TIPRA Motha, an organisation founded through an alliance of regional groupings and claiming to represent the indigenous people of the state is anticipated to make significant gains, it is being viewed as a key player in the formation of the Tripuran government. TIPRA Motha is led by Pradyot Manikya Deb.
The incumbent NDPP-BJP alliance is also almost certain to win a new mandate in Nagaland, according to exit poll forecasts and do so with a wide margin. Even with a number of problems ailing the state that had brought the actions of the state government led by Neiphiu Rio into question, Nagaland appears to be the most straightforward triumph for the ruling saffron party.