Coming together of NPP, Tipra Motha How will it impact on NE ?
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Meghalaya and Tripura are obviously the two States which will first test the water for the new banner that will come following the ‘merger’ of the NPP and the Tipra Motha. The tie up or merger move has already been announced and the finer details are expected to be finalised in the next 45 days. The merger of the two parties, with strong emphasis on local flavours such as indige-neity, land and local interests may certainly go a long way in addressing the issues of people who are increasingly under the impression that they have been left in the cold in the larger scheme of things, points which directly impact on their lives and interests as a people. The North East, this is the focus of the merger move which has been initiated and obviously the first two States which will test the new entity are Meghalaya and Tripura, two States which are poised to go in for Assembly elections in the early part of 2028. How the merger of the two parties impact on the region remains to be seen, but the NPP with six MLAs (excluding the late Kayisii) is no pushover in Manipur and given the fluid political situation here, anything can happen in the coming days and this is what may give a new dimension to the political equation here. The Tipra Motha may not have much of a presence here, but already its leader Pradyot Manikya has been able to catch the imagination of some section of the youngsters while Conrad Sangma of the NPP is not a stranger to Manipur. It will be some time for Manipur and the other North East States to face the emergence of the new political alliance, but as noted here, in Meghalaya it will be more like the NPP coming in a new package while the same will stand true in the case of Tripura too. How the merger of the two parties go down with the said two States remains to be seen, but the NPP is already a tried and tested political party in Meghalaya while the Tipra Motha is yet to be tested. At the same time it is also important to remember that the NPP and the Tipra Motha are both partners of the BJP and much will depend on how the leaders of the two parties manage to convey an image distinct from the saffron party. An alliance for political convenience can be very different from asserting one’s identity as an independent being and it will take more than simple efforts for the two parties to shake off the saffron hue which is sure to come along with them. More interestingly how will Manipur warm up to a party which is understood to have close ties with the BJP ? This question is important in the face of the changing political dynamics in the State. Remember the resounding victory of the two Congress candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and it is with a reason why many have attributed the loss of the NPF candidate in the Outer seat due to its ties with the saffron party. Whatever the case, NPP and the Tipra Motha have their tasks cut out and only time can say if its intent of representing or covering the whole North Eastern States will come to fruition or not. As said the first test will obviously be Meghalaya and Tripura.
And even as the two parties are set to work out the details of the merger, a number of North East based regional political parties are yet to join the bandwagon. The Zoram People’s Movement of Mizoram which is currently heading the Government there, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party of Nagaland, the Asom Gana Parishad, the Naga People’s Front are yet to say anything on the coming together of the two parties and it will be interesting to see how things progress. Manipur centric regional political parties too have not made any over move either to join or stay away from the new arrangement. The last word is however yet to be said and as Manipur inches towards 2027, there may be new developments, especially in the days ahead of the next Assembly elections. How the BJP and the Congress have viewed the coming together of NPP and Tipra Motha remains to be seen, and the interesting question is how this may impact on the ties the two political parties share with the saffron party. It is with a reason why there are observations from some quarters that the coming together of the two regional parties may just prove to be another BJP in a new avatar. Nothing is final in politics and this is what will make things more interesting to come. How Manipur respond to the new political development may be known in the coming days, or will it remain indifferent ?
And even as the two parties are set to work out the details of the merger, a number of North East based regional political parties are yet to join the bandwagon. The Zoram People’s Movement of Mizoram which is currently heading the Government there, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party of Nagaland, the Asom Gana Parishad, the Naga People’s Front are yet to say anything on the coming together of the two parties and it will be interesting to see how things progress. Manipur centric regional political parties too have not made any over move either to join or stay away from the new arrangement. The last word is however yet to be said and as Manipur inches towards 2027, there may be new developments, especially in the days ahead of the next Assembly elections. How the BJP and the Congress have viewed the coming together of NPP and Tipra Motha remains to be seen, and the interesting question is how this may impact on the ties the two political parties share with the saffron party. It is with a reason why there are observations from some quarters that the coming together of the two regional parties may just prove to be another BJP in a new avatar. Nothing is final in politics and this is what will make things more interesting to come. How Manipur respond to the new political development may be known in the coming days, or will it remain indifferent ?