The BJP will easily sweep Tripura once again and its alliance government will retain power in Nagaland, various exit polls predicted on Monday. The race for Meghalaya will be murky with Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party likely to emerge as the single-largest party. Exit polls show that the BJP will get around 33 seats in the 60-seat Tripura Assembly. The Left, which ruled the state for more than 30 years, is likely to get only 14 seats. The Congress is unlikely to win any seat. Tipra Motha, the new party floated by erstwhile royal Pradyot Kishore Debbarma with the core demand of Greater Tipraland will likely bag 12 seats. In Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma’s NPP is likely to emerge as the single-largest party with 21-26 seats. The BJP, which won only two seats in the state in 2018, will increase its footprint with 6-11 seats. New entrant Trinamool Congress may win 8-13 seats while Congress may win around 6 seats. In Nagaland, the BJP+NDPP alliance may win a whopping 42 of 60 seats while the NPF may get around 6 seats and the Congress 1. Exit polls provide a rough idea of how the battles in the three states may turn out on result day (March 2). Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura are the first among the nine states going to polls this year. BJP has attempted to consolidate its hold in the Northeast through its Northeast Democratic Alliance, which was formed in 2016 to bring regional parties under its umbrella.
Meghalaya recorded a voting percentage of over 76 per cent and Nagaland saw a voter turnout of over 84 per cent in the polling for assembly elections in the two northeastern states on Monday.
According to the latest data from Election Commission, Meghalaya recorded 76.66 per cent polling while it was 84.66 per cent in Nagaland. Meghalaya saw a voter turnout of 63.91 per cent till 3 pm in 59 assembly constituencies for which polling was held. The polling started at 7 am and ended at 4 pm. The voting percentage picked up momentum as the day progressed. It was 44.73 per cent till 1 pm, 26.70 per cent till 11 am and 12.06 per cent till 9 am. Polling was held at 3,419 polling stations across 59 Assembly constituencies in the state.