CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Buoyed by the BJP's emphatic return to power in neighbouring Assam and the continuation of Himanta Biswa Sarma for a second consecutive term, the Meghalaya unit of the BJP on Tuesday asserted that the electoral verdict reflected "pro-incumbency" in Assam in favour of the saffron party. It also expressed confidence that this political trend would eventually influence Meghalaya, with the party predicting a double-digit tally in the 2028 Assembly elections.
Even as the BJP has witnessed significant electoral expansion and consolidation across several states in recent years, its growth in Meghalaya has largely remained stagnant, with the party currently holding just two seats in the 60-member Assembly. However, Meghalaya BJP spokesperson M. Kharkrang said the political landscape in the state was gradually shifting and expressed confidence that the party would secure double-digit seats in the 2028 elections.
Kharkrang said the Assam verdict had disproved the notion of anti-incumbency against long-serving governments and instead reflected growing public endorsement of the BJP's governance model.
"Assam is very clear. Even after 10 years, the BJP was voted back to power with a higher vote percentage and more seats. Why? Because it is pro-incumbency and not anti-incumbency. In many governments, anti-incumbency sets in after 10 years, but in Assam, it is pro-incumbency. I just hope the voters of Meghalaya also understand this," Kharkrang said.
Drawing parallels with political developments in the Northeast, Kharkrang also pointed to the BJP's electoral gains in Nagaland and claimed that acceptance of the party was steadily growing across the region.
"You can see in Nagaland, even a bypoll went to the BJP. Nagaland has started to accept the BJP, and I believe it is only a matter of time before voters in Meghalaya do the same. By 2028, the BJP will get double-digit seats. We will see how far this goes and whether it can even lead to a BJP-led government in Meghalaya," he added.
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