News

SHILLONG, May 17– While regional parties have proved to be forces to reckon with even at the Centre, regional politics in Meghalaya has been systematically weakened over the last decade, largely due to lack of clear-cut policies and factional bickerings. The regional outfits have failed to make their presence felt even in the arena of state politics as shown by the results of the Lok Sabha and last assembly elections in the state. The regional parties have been relegated to play the second fiddle to the Congress, which leads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in the State.

De...

GUWAHATI, May 16 – The State’s premier regional outfit, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), has decided to take the lead in the formation of a joint forum of regional parties from across the country to secure regional interests. The party is planning to organise a national convention of all such parties soon to formalise the alliance. Disclosing this to presspersons, on the sidelines of the central executive committee meeting of the party here this afternoon, AGP spokesman Jagadish Bhuyan said that the party will shortly establish contact with all regional parties in this regard.

The decision to...

AIZAWL, May 16 – Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga Thursday expressed the hope that peace initiatives in the North East region would not be affected in the event of the Congress coming to power, reports PTI.

Zoramthanga, involved in the Naga peace deal and who is acting as the go-between the Centre and other insurgent groups of the region, said that Central leaders, who wanted national integrity would not derail the peace process that had been initiated during the NDA rule.

''Coalition politics have come to stay in the country and leaders in Delhi could never rule highandedly as in the...

NEW DELHI, May 16 – The Congress Party high command may be busy stitching together an alliance, but the Congress-ruled Assam Government is ready with its own wish-list, with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi contemplating to seek a special package for employment generation and solution of the flood and erosion problem on a priority basis. The news of return of the Congress back to power at the Centre has brought with it hopes for Congress-ruled States like Assam, which has for long been alleging discrimination at the hands of BJP-led NDA Government. “I am expecting a better treatment from the Centre...

MANGALDAI, May 16 — Though the Congress wrested nine LS seats in Assam, it stands to lose in terms of LAC votes as its vote banks have eroded in several LACs like Nazira where the CPI LS candidate got 35,245 votes against the Congress candidate languishing with just 17,134 votes in the 2004 Parliamentary elections.

The Congress had got less votes, LAC-wise, in the areas of Cabinet ministers of Assam, Devananda Konwar, Hemoprava Saikia, Sarat Borkotoky and prominent Congress MLA Pranab Gogoi.

Meanwhile, the Sonari LAC represented by Sarat Borkotoky has recorded a reverse swing in the Congress...