Senior BJP leader A L Hek has expressed confidence that the party will form the next government in Meghalaya in 2028 and ruled out the possibility of any pre-poll alliance.
“Believe me, in 2028 it will be a BJP-led government in Meghalaya. That is very clear. The national leadership will decide who the leader will be, but I am telling you again that in 2028 it will be a BJP-led government in Meghalaya,” Hek told reporters.
The BJP in Meghalaya is a partner of Conrad Sangma-led NPP. Of course, in 2023 assembly elections, the BJP contested on its own and could not make a mark as it could pick up only two seats.
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| Hek - now the face of BJP in Meghalaya |
Five years earlier in 2018 also; the BJP had won two seats including Hek.
Alexander Laloo Hek, also known as A.L. Hek, represents Pynthorumkhrah assembly Constituency.
“We will go alone. There will be no pre-poll alliance with any political party,” he asserted. On speculation about a change in the state BJP president ahead of the 2028 assembly elections, Hek said the matter was within the purview of the party’s national leadership.
“That will depend on the national leadership’s decision. I will not be able to comment on any decision taken at the national level,” he said.
Like Meghalaya, in Nagaland too, the BJP shares power with the regional party NPF. The saffron party had won 12 seats in both 2018 and 2023 elections for the 60-member assembly.
Logically speaking, if with just two MLAs; the BJP now plans to come to power on its own in Meghalaya; the normal refrain is -- Why not Nagaland ? -- where contesting only 20 seats - it had won 12 seats during both the assembly elections.
The strike rate was 60 per cent.
In fact, in 2018 the Lotus party's strike rate was better than NDPP then led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio. In contrast to the BJP; the NDPP had won 18 seats having contested 40 seats.
As it is, the Nagaland state polity is undergoing changes. The newly floated 'Fed Up Nagas', an organisation of youngsters apparently frustrated, has now transformed them into a new name.
The Fed Up Nagas has been rechristened as the Naga Youth Movement. The next logical step could be formation of a new political party.
A memorandum addressed to PM Narendra Modi has been dispatched. It essentially called for resolving the 'stalemated Indo-Naga political issue' by consolidating the contents of the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position.
It also reiterated the three-month deadline for the same. "While Fed-Up Nagas reflected our initial frustration, we are now shifting to Naga Youth Movement (NYM) to embrace peace, unity and maturity. After prayer and deliberation, we chose a more inclusive path that promotes shalom and a constructive solution rather than aggression," the group said.
In terms of electoral politics, the ruling NPF (NDPP has merged in Oct 2025) led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio is set to face a tough and critical battle in 2028.
The regional party (its symbol being Cock) suffers on credibility vis-a-vis performance in development as well as Naga political Solution. On the other hand, the BJP leaders everywhere want a much ambitious roadmap for them in each state.
Hek's statement is taken with a pinch of salt in the context of Meghalaya; but it has a deeper message. In Nagaland too in the run up to the 2023 assembly polls, the local BJP leaders had their ambition and wanted to contest more seats.
However, the repeated request was turned down by Home Minister Amit Shah as Rio had managed to convince him otherwise with the clear backing of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Apparently, a year back even Himanta (who is convener of BJP-led NEDA in north east) was questioned by the high command for his advice in 2022 for the saffron paty's tie up with Rio. The strong argument being the Rio Govt at Kohima has not been doing much concrete to convince the NSCN-IM leadership to come forward for an early Solution.
In fact, in November 2024; Shah reportedly told Nagaland ministers and CM Rio that the real 'key' to the Solution pact lay with the NSCN-IM and there were no merits in shifting blame to two negotiators A K Mishra and R N Ravi.
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| Naga 'neta' of the decade : CM Rio |
Therefore, all eyes are on Amit Shah - on what he does with the BJP in Nagaland and perhaps more importantly what roadmap he draws out for Rio and also the kind of 'new windows' for the NSCN-IM.
The mandated chief minister can be the best 'politically mandated' interlocutor.
Didn't we hear that making things worse for others will make you pay the bill one day ?
ends
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