How Congress lost Tripura and Nagaland here's is the complete story

Relegated to the political margins in Tripura and Nagaland for decades, the failure to open its account on Thursday completed the Congress’ decimation in the two north-eastern states. Infighting, lack of resources, non-visible central leadership, lacklustre campaigning and the perceived tacit understanding with the Left appeared to have cost the Congress dear in Tripura in the just-concluded elections.

In Tripura, the Congress’ vote base shifted to the BJP. From a vote share of 36.53 % in 2013 when it contested 48 seats and won 10 seats, its share plunged to 1.8% this time with zero seats. The BJP’s sustained campaigning that the Congress was deliberately lying low in Tripura to help the ruling CPI(M) consolidated the anti-Left votes in its favour. The Congress was not considered an alternative or a strong opposition to the CPI(M), and that led to big gains for the BJP. Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed just one election meeting in Tripura on the last day of campaigning on February 16. Polling was held two days later. State Congress leaders had also complained about the lack of interest on the part of general secretary in charge of North East, CP Joshi in the party affairs in Tripura.

However, Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha attributed the BJP’s victory to the fact that it is in power at the Centre as well. “We don’t have a government at the Centre and that is why the people who were against the CPM voted for the BJP,” he said. Sinha claimed that this was not the first time that the Congress faced such a situation in Tripura, and recalled that the party lost badly in 1977 but regained power in 1988. Samir Ranjan Barman was the last Congress chief minister in Tripura who remained at the helm till March 1993.

Struggle in Nagaland
In Nagaland, the Congress was never in the game. It not only struggled to find the candidates but also could not provide adequate resources to fight the elections. Fund crunch also forced Congress to withdraw five candidates, leaving 18 in the fray. In 2013, the party had won eight seats out of the 56 it contested and secured a vote share of 24.89%. State Congress chief Kewe Khape Therie squarely blamed Joshi for the party’s dismal performance. “Joshi has systematically destroyed the Congress not only in Nagaland but in the entire North East. For the past more than two years, he did not visit the state. He even prevented Rahul Gandhi from campaigning.”

“We were not given any funds or any other logistic support. I think Congress has not only given up on Nagaland but the entire North East. When no Congress leader came for campaigning and the party showed no interest in Nagaland, the intent was clear,” he said. Therie, however, said money factor played a key role in the Nagaland elections. “Money is the only consideration this time. No other issue.” For its part, the Congress focused on Meghalaya, but there too, it is struggling, and will need the support of regional players and independents to retain power.