Guwahati: When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) in 2016, it was presented as more than just another political coalition. It was a strategic project aimed at reshaping the political landscape of a region where the Congress and powerful regional parties had long dominated electoral politics.
Ten years later, with the BJP and its allies governing most of the Northeast, a curious question is being asked in political circles: Where is NEDA?
The alliance was born at a time when the BJP was seeking to expand beyond its traditional strongholds. The Northeast, with its diverse ethnic identities, regional aspirations and strong local parties, posed a unique challenge. NEDA emerged as the answer.
Conceived under the guidance of BJP leadership and spearheaded by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the alliance sought to bring together a range of regional parties under a common political umbrella while allowing them to retain their distinct identities.
The formula proved remarkably successful. Within a few years, the BJP's influence expanded dramatically across the region. Governments aligned with the BJP came to power in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, while the party forged partnerships in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
What had once been a region where the BJP struggled to gain a foothold was transformed into one of the party's strongest political frontiers. During this period, NEDA was a constant presence in political discussions. Meetings were regularly held, leaders from different states shared platforms and the alliance was projected as a model of regional cooperation under the broader National Democratic Alliance (NDA) framework.
The rise of NEDA also coincided with the emergence of Himanta Biswa Sarma as the BJP's most influential strategist in the Northeast. His ability to build alliances, negotiate with regional leaders and deliver electoral victories made him the face of the BJP's northeastern expansion.
Yet as the years passed, NEDA gradually receded from public view. Unlike its early years, the alliance rarely features in political debates today. Its meetings no longer attract the same attention, and its role in shaping regional politics appears less visible.
The irony is striking. NEDA seems to have become less prominent precisely when the BJP has become more powerful in the Northeast. One explanation is that the alliance may have largely achieved its original objective. When NEDA was formed, the BJP needed a platform to enter states where it lacked organizational strength.
Today, the party has developed its own structures and leadership networks across much of the region. In several states, it no longer depends on alliances to the same extent that it once did. As the BJP's independent presence has grown, the need for a highly visible coalition platform may have diminished.
At the same time, regional politics in the Northeast continues to be driven by state-specific issues. From ethnic tensions and border disputes to demands for greater autonomy and economic development, each state faces unique challenges. Regional parties increasingly focus on these local concerns rather than broader alliance politics, reducing the centrality of NEDA as a political forum. The prolonged crisis in Manipur has also raised questions about the alliance's contemporary relevance. Critics argue that an organization envisioned as a platform for regional political coordination has remained largely absent from discussions surrounding one of the Northeast's most serious challenges in recent years. Supporters, however, contend that NEDA was always intended as an electoral and political alliance rather than a mechanism for conflict resolution. The larger question now revolves around the future.
With the NDA securing a third consecutive term at the Centre and Himanta Biswa Sarma's stature within the BJP continuing to rise, speculation is growing about whether the party will embark on a new phase of expansion in the Northeast.
If that happens, NEDA could either be revitalized as a strategic platform or gradually become a historical milestone that served its purpose during a crucial phase of political transformation.
The question today is not whether NEDA succeeded. The more intriguing question is whether the alliance still has a role to play in the next chapter of Northeast politics, or whether it will be remembered as a vehicle that accomplished its mission and quietly stepped out of the spotlight.