The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 13 of the 25 seats in the Northeast in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, while the Indian National Congress (INC) won seven.
The Congress, whose performance is said to have improved since 2019 won three seats in Assam, both the seats in Manipur, the Tura constituency in Meghalaya, and the Nagaland constituency.
Meanwhile, the BJP won from seven of the 14 seats in Assam, both the seats in Arunachal Pradesh, and both the seats in Tripura.
Like in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won nine seats in Assam and retained two seats each in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Currently, the BJP is heading the governments in all these states.
Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the eight northeastern states, in 2019, 14 were won by the BJP while the Congress had secured four (three in Assam and one in Meghalaya). The remaining seven seats were bagged by state parties, and an independent nominee.
However, in a major setback to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in Manipur, both the Outer Manipur and Inner Manipur voted the party out, with Indian National Congress winning 1 seat each in the constituency.
The key candidates for the 2024 General Elections in Inner Manipur were Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh (BJP) and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam (Congress).
Congress' Angomcha Bimol Akoijam won Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, by over 1.09 lakh votes.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Inner Manipur seat was won by BJP candidate Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, while Congress candidate Oinam Nabakishore Singh had come in second place.
This year, Congress won both the Lok Sabha seats in Manipur. In Outer Manipur, Alfred Kanngam S Arthur won by over 85,000 votes against his nearest rival Kachui Timothy Zimik of the Naga People’s front.
Manipur, has been dealing with intense violence for over one year. The locals were upset with how both the BJP-run state and Centre government handled the violence that has displaced more than 70,000 people from the Meitei and the tribal Kuki-Zo community.
The civil war has also left over 227 dead. Many political experts believe that the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur and disturbances in Nagaland and Meghalaya was the major reason why BJP lost not only in Manipur but other states as well.
Speaking to The Citizen, Babloo Loitongbam, an Imphal based human rights activist said that people in the state from all the communities have rejected the politics of polarisation.
“Manipur demonstrates the limitation of polarisation politics, once the people see through the game plan it becomes counterproductive,” he said.
However, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in power Loitongbam raised concerns on how the political parties are going to navigate the situation.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of the BJP has been criticised not just for its failure to contain the violence. Meanwhile, Modi has not visited the conflict-torn state since the violence started.
There was relief and happiness among the Kuki-Zo community on the other hand. Despite many boycotting the elections this time, others went out and voted.
Siam Phaipi, a lawyer who was displaced from Imphal said that the violence in Manipur affected everyone, which is the reason BJP was thrown out.
“I guess Manipur violence affected everyone a lot and it shows that more Meiteis did not support the Arambai Tenggol and BJP than those who support them,” Phaipi said.
Phaipi said that usually the trend in Manipur is whoever captures booths usually wins. There were reports of Arambai Tenggol capturing booths and forcing people to vote for BJP.
“But that trend has changed this time,” he said.
The lawyer, whose house and a school built by his father was burnt, said that as long as “it is not BJP and Biren, it's a start” to a path towards improvement.
“It is pretty much anyone but Modi, anyone but Biren for me,” he said.
Khamsangh Lian, the President of Khangthah Zuun Pawl (KZP) while sharing his happiness for Congress winning in both the seats, he averred his doubts on any change in the situation.
“I am happy for Congress winning in both Inner and Outer Manipur, but no change will come unless the Outer Manipur MPs do not stand for the cause,” Lian said.
The polling for Inner Manipur was held in Phase 1 and Phase 2 on 19, 26 April.
Meanwhile, BJP ally National People's Party (NPP) lost both seats in Meghalaya to the Congress and the Voice of the People Party, while another ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) lost the lone Nagaland seat to the Congress.
The All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam, NDPP in Nagaland, Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, NPP in Meghalaya, Naga People's Front (NPF) in Manipur, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in Sikkim and an Independent (Naba Kumar Sarania) in Assam had won one seat each in 2019.
Though the MNF is a constituent of the NDA's northeast chapter, the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mizoram Chief Minister and ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) President Lalduhoma has already announced that his party would maintain equal distance from the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc.
In Assam, Biswa’s win was not surprising and was expected.
Speaking to The Citizen, a Guwahati based journalist said, “It was an expected line, BJP-led NDA has improved their tally to 11. The combination of Hindutva and Assamese nationalism helped BJP to win the seats,” the journalist said.
They also said that “Congress' lack of organisational strength is also another factor for the massive victory of BJP”.
On asking whether CAA and NRC factors affected BJP in any way, however they were not an issue this election season, according to the journalist.
However, Congress candidate from Jorhat Gaurav Gogoi was the biggest take-away from these elections. A shocking win, Gogoi won from Jorhat well despite the odds stacked against him.
“Gogoi won because of his personality and charisma rather than the party strength. The support from regional forces like Raijor Dal and AJP also contributed to the win of Gaurav Gogoi. Things look bleak for All India United Democratic Front – Assam’s third largest party after BJP and Congress - a major gain for Congress as Muslims consolidate towards the Grand Old Party,” the journalist added.
Gogoi is the son of former Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Congress chief and former Union Minister Vincent H. Pala, who has been winning the Shillong Lok Sabha seat since 2009, was defeated by Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon of the Voice of the People Party this time.
However, Congress candidate Saleng A. Sangma won the Tura seat by defeating ruling NPP nominee and former Union Minister Agatha K. Sangma, the younger sister of Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP supremo Conrad K. Sangma.
Criticising the Central government, the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) had urged the people to abstain from voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19 in support of its demand for a separate state comprising six districts in the state's eastern region.
The people in the six districts, which have over four lakh voters, remained indoors on April 19 responding to the ENPO's boycott call.
Meanwhile, Tripura Congress President Asish Kumar Saha said on Tuesday that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra yielded better dividends for the party in the Lok Sabha elections in the northeast.
Rahul Gandhi began his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur on January 14, highlighting the five 'guarantees' (Nyay) and visited most of the northeastern states evoking a positive impact among the people, Saha said.
However, BJP's allies United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in Sikkim secured one seat each.