Northeast preparing for a new political party

GUWAHATI: A new political roadmap is being prepared among the states of Northeast India for a new political party. This comes amid a rising demand for regionalism in the Northeast region, with political parties pushing for an alternative even though the NDA has a comfortable majority in the region in the recent Lok Sabha elections. In Assam, the NDA holds 11 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats with a strong presence even in other states of the Northeast, with its regional partners doing much of the legwork vis-à-vis states such as Nagaland.

However, recent instances of partnership instability have cautioned the regional allies into thinking of an alternative. Firstly, in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) region of Assam, NDA ally UPPL was in power with the BJP. They together won the Lok Sabha seat as the BJP backed the UPPL seat. However, during the recently held council elections, the BJP fielded their candidates alone, which was a big blow to the UPPL. This helped the Bodo People’s Front (BPF)win the council elections, and UPPL and incumbent CEM Pramod Boro lost his seat.

The situation has led to a concern among the regional allies, who have gone apprehensive about potential tie-ups with the BJP. This view is shared by some of the regional allies in Assam who sense this as an opportunity. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, former MLA and senior leader Jagdish Bhuyan has stated that since Independence, states have been formed due to linguistic variations. He highlighted the need for a regional power in the state. In Delhi, the smaller states have always struggled to get adequate attention due to the sheer small size of representation in the parliament. "In Assam, we always had to protest to get things otherwise we have never received anything in merit," he said. The lack of implementation of the Assam Accord was also highlighted by the former MLA. "To protect the Assamese people’s interests, we need more regional powers to further the cause of Assam."

However, another contradiction regional parties face is to ally with Congress whose stand nationally at times contradicts their local stands, including views linked with Citizenship and immigration.

Meanwhile, a pan Northeast alliance or a political platform is likely on the cards, with Tripura Royal Scion Pradyot Manikya calling it a Front for Northeast India. Speaking during a live address on social media, Pradyot said that "if genuine unity happens and we speak in one voice. Delhi will take us seriously. If we remain divided, we will continue to be politically played." He went on to indicate that discussions are already underway with leaders across neighbouring states, hinting at the emergence of a new regional political platform. "When we come together, a new alliance of the Northeast will emerge Tripura will also play a major role in this," he said.

Reinforcing the call for coordinated resistance, Pradyot stressed that fragmented struggles will fail to create a meaningful impact. "If you fight separately, you won’t win. Fight as a team, fight as the Northeast, only then can we win," he said, urging all regional stakeholders to shift from isolated movements to a joint political front. The Tipra Motha chief also linked this proposed unity to legal and constitutional battles, stating that the fight for indigenous land rights, customary law and constitutional guarantees must happen on multiple fronts—political, legal, and grassroots. "Only politics won’t solve it. We need court battles, legal reforms and unity on the ground," he said.

Pradyot also indicated that discussions with leaders from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Assam are already underway, and a formal announcement of the Northeast front will be made once consultations are complete. As per sources, a press conference on the said issue is likely to be held on November 4th in the Constitution Club in New Delhi, which will have political leaders addressing the platform.