Riding on a strong anti-Congress wave, the BJP and its allies made a dent in the ruling party’s stronghold in the north-eastern states.
Of the total 25 seats in the eight north-eastern states including Sikkim, the BJP won eight, doubling its tally from the four it had won in 2009. The BJP’s ally — Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio-led Naga People’s Front and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma-led National People’s Party won one seat each. The Congress managed eight seats against the 13 won in 2009.
In Assam, the BJP eroded Congress support among tea garden workers and Adivasi communities in the northern parts of the State to wrest Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat and Tezpur constituencies.
The All India United Democratic Front further cut into the Congress support base among Muslims.