north east online - north east india news: Mar 9, 2008

Sunday, March 9, 2008

DAN stakes claim to form next Nagaland government

The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland with 34 members, including four independents, met the Nagaland Governor K Sankaranarayanan on Sunday evening and formally staked claim to form the next government in the state.

After electing Neiphiu Rio as the DAN legislature party leader, the MLAs of NPF (26), BJP (2) and NCP (2), accompanied by Lok Sabha MP of NPF W Koniyak, met the governor.

The four independents told the Governor that they have formed a group and would extend support to Rio as the DAN legislature party leader besides extending individual support.

The result of one more seat Suruhuto is awaited as repolling will be held there tomorrow, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.

ULFA-triggered blasts rock Assam, 23 injured

At least 23 people were injured, six of them seriously, as a series of ULFA-triggered bomb blasts ripped apart two commercial centres in Assam even as a powerful IED and another bomb were recovered and defused.
A bomb kept under a truck exploded at Barua Market of Fancy Bazar in Guwahati, the main commercial hub of the northeastern region, at around 1:30 pm, police said.

The site of the blast was where goods are loaded and unloaded from trucks for despatch to different markets of the region.

Four persons received minor injuries due to the blast. The second attack took place half an hour later at GNB Road of Tinsukia town in upper Assam in which 19 people were injured, six of them seriously.

The area was immediately cordoned off and the injured rushed to a hospital. A 2.5 kg bomb was recovered by the army from near the spot later by the army.

On the other hand, the army recovered the IED, weighing 12 kg, from Tangini village of Darrang district. Both the IED and the bomb were defused, police said.

Sources said the ULFA has stepped up its subversive activities in the run-up to its foundation day on April 7.

DAN all set to form govt in Nagaland

The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) on Saturday, emerged as frontrunner to form the government in the state with the conglomerate bagging 29 of the 57 seats, results for which were declared, and needing just two more to reach the required number.

The Nagaland People's Front (NPF), which heads the DAN, won 25 seats while its opponent Congress bagged 22. NCP and BJP secured two seats each.

NPF, BJP, JD-U and NCP forged a pre-poll alliance but contested the elections on separate manifestos.

Six Independents also won from their respective constituencies.

Analysts said the three seats, where counting was not held, are NPF strongholds.

Among NPF winners were its president Shurhozelie, who retained his Northern Angami seat for the sixth time.

Former chief minister and NPF candidate Neiphiu Rio won from Northern Angami II seat defeating his Congress rival Sevetso by over 10,000 votes. Rio retained the seat for the fifth time.

Nagaland Assembly Speaker Kiyanlilie Peseyie won from Western Angami seat. Former home minister Thenucho lost the the Chazouba seat to Independent Chotisuh Sazo.

Prominent Congress winners were former chief minister K L Chishi, former CLP leader I Imkong and C Apok Jamir, son of Goa Governor S C Jamir.

Nagaland was brought under President's Rule recently in the wake of the fluid political situation and the state assembly was subsequently dissolved. Counting of votes for three assembly segments under Zunheboto district would begin tomorrow with repoll held there today under tight security

Meghalaya Progressive Alliance parades 31 MLAs

Thirty- one MLAs of the 60-member house in Meghalaya were on Saturday paraded before Governor S S Sidhu by the newly formed Meghalaya Progressive Alliance, comprising the NCP and UDP, which staked claim to form the next government.

The MLAs led by UDP President Donkupar Roy, the chief ministerial candidate of the MPA, called on the Governor in Raj Bhavan to stake claim.

The MPA comprised UDP (11), NCP (14), Hills State Democratic Party (HSDP) (2), Khun Hynnieutrip National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) (1), BJP (1) and two independents.

Left Front government in Tripura assumes office on Monday

A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is to assume office for the fourth consecutive term on Monday.

Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahaya would administer the oath of office and secrecy to the 59-year-old Marxist leader and his council of ministers at a function at the Raj Bhavan in Agartala, an official said.

"Sarkar resigned on Friday night and I have asked him to continue in office till the alternative arrangement was made," Sahaya told IANS.

CPI-M-led Left Front on Friday pulled off an emphatic victory for a fourth consecutive term, winning 49 seats in the 60-member legislature and routing the main opposition Congress, which secured only 10 seats while. Its poll partner Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) bagged only one seat.

In the previous assembly election in 2003, the Left Front won in 41 seats followed by the Congress with 13 and its ally INPT with six.

The Left Front has been in power in Tripura since 1978, barring one term (1988-1993).

Cong ahead in Nagaland

The Congress was on Saturday ahead in Nagaland winning 11 seats and leading in 10 in the 60-member Assembly, while rival Nagaland People's Front won three seats and was ahead in 15. The BJP was leading in two seats, the NCP in two and Independents in three.

The NPF headed the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government before imposition of President's Rule. The NPF, BJP, JD(U) and the NCP forged a pre-poll alliance, but were contesting on separate manifestos.

Prominent winners for the NPF were its president Shurehozelie who retained the Northern Angami I seat for the sixth consecutive time.

Congress winners were former chief minister KL Chishi from Dimapur-I and youth Congress leader and Goa governor SC Jamir's son C Apok Jamir from Mokokchung Town seat.

Polling for the 60-member assembly was held on March five. Counting of votes for three assembly segments under Zunheboto district would begin on Sunday with repoll held there on Saturday amid tight security. Elections were held under President's rule for the fourth time in the state.

Congress, DAN claim to form next Govt in Nagaland

On the eve of counting of votes on Saturday, Congress and NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) on Friday exuded confidence, with both claiming they would muster a working majority to form the next government in the state.

CLP Leader I Imkong told newsmen that Congress was hopeful of winning a simple majority and forming the government but in the event of a fractured mandate, the party would seek support from NCP, RJD and Independents.

On the other hand, exuding confidence that the four-party DAN would clinch majority with NPF emerging as the single largest party, former chief minister Neiphiu Rio said that it would seek support from like-minded parties and Independents in case the alliance failed to reach the magic figure of 31 in the 60 member house.

Counting of votes will be taken up on Saturday in 12 centres across the state for which elaborate arrangements have been made by the authorities.

Mixed fortunes for Congress in state polls

Congress emerged on Friday as the single largest party after elections in Meghalaya in the country's remote northeast, but failed to dislodge their communist rivals in Tripura, officials said.

The troubled northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland normally lack political weight nationally, but, with a national poll due by early 2009 and speculation about an early election, the contests are being seen as a test of the ruling party's popularity.

The rival Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh defeated Congress last December.

The northeastern elections were marked by an unusually high voter turnout that analysts linked to increasing political awareness among women and young people.

"People saw a way to bring about changes by participating in democratic process and understood the futility of violence," said BG Verghese, a visiting professor with the New Delhi based Centre for Policy Research.

"The younger generations are aware that they can change things democratically and their large numbers in voters lists have added to a high polling percentage."

Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya, where it has headed a coalition over the past five years. It is expected to make another bid for power after sewing together an alliance.

In Tripura, Indian communists retained power for a fourth straight term. The communists shore up the Congress-led coalition at the centre, but the two are rivals at the state level.

Results from Nagaland are expected on Saturday.

India's northeast, encircled by China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan, is home to more than 200 ethnic and tribal groups and has been beset by dozens of separatist and tribal insurgencies since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Tribespeople for years accused New Delhi of taking away the region's mineral resources, giving them nothing in return.

The disaffection has also been reflected in the local population's limited participation in elections.

Left sweeps Tripura, Meghalaya hung

The Left Front in Tripura swept the Assembly elections for the fourth successive term while Meghalaya, typical of its political history, got a hung House after results were declared on Friday. Nagaland will know its poll results on Saturday.

The CPM and its allies won 49 of the 60 seats in Tripura, eight more than in 2003. The Congress and its ally, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra, could manage only 11, down from 19 in the previous election.

The Forward Bloc made an exit from the left front over seat sharing when it failed to use pressure tactics after its 12 nominees lost. Candidates of smaller parties and independents lost their security deposit.

While Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will take fresh guard by Monday, the fractured verdict in Meghalaya could delay the formation of the new government.

In Meghalaya, the Congress bagged 25 in the 60-seat House, six less than the magic number. Election to one seat has been deferred to March 22. The NCP, which relied heavily on Purno A Sangma's charisma, ended with 14 seats, while the regional United Democratic Party improved its past performance to win 11 seats.

In case of a Congress alliance with UDP, DD Lapang is likely to carry on as the chief minister.

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