BJP State Chiefs Face Defeat in Meghalaya, Tripura; Social Media Star Temjem Imma Wins in Nagaland

Two out of three BJP state presidents lost the assembly elections in the northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Only Temjem Imma Along, the Nagaland BJP president, managed to win his seat. The party’s rising star in the northeast, he has a massive following on social media. But he, too, won a tough fight.

Along is known for his witty and humorous comments, which often go viral – one of these was about the perks of having “small eyes”.

In Tripura, despite a clear majority for the saffron party, state unit chief and first-time candidate Rajib Bhattacharjee lost in the Banamalipur assembly constituency against former state Congress chief Gopal Chandra Roy by a margin of 1,369 votes. In the 2018 elections, former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb had won this seat.

Other leaders, including chief minister Manik Saha, his cabinet colleague Ratan Lal Nath and union minister Pratima Bhoumik, won from Town Bardowali, Mohanpur and Dhanpur. However, deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma lost to Tipra Motha’s Subodh Deb Barma by a narrow margin of 858 votes from Charilam seat.

In Meghalaya, state unit president Ernest Mawrie, who made headlines ahead of the polls by saying he ate beef, lost to the UDP’s Paul Lyngdoh from the West Shillong seat.

Last month, Mawrie had said if the BJP came to power in Meghalaya, it would not impose any restrictions on the consumption of beef. He said Meghalaya was a Christian-majority state and, once in power, the BJP will provide more security to the community.

“I cannot make a statement on the resolution adopted by other states. We are in Meghalaya, everybody eats beef, and there is no restriction. Yes, I eat beef too. There is no ban in Meghalaya. It is the lifestyle of the people, no one can stop it. There is no such rule in India also. Some states have passed some acts. In Meghalaya, we have a slaughterhouse; everybody takes a cow or pig and brings it to the market. It could be a hygienic one. So, the people, they have a habit,” he was quoted by news agency ANI.

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