EDITORIALS

Status Quo Maintained

The assembly elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya did not spring any surprises.
he status quo ruled the roost as the Left Front (LF) led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] retained power in Tripura, the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) in Nagaland, and the Congress in Meghalaya, the three north-eastern states, where state assembly elections were held last month. It was a foregone conclusion that the LF would triumph once again in Tripura but the expectation was that it would suffer a drop in its formidable share of the votes cast, as also in the number of seats it would win, this in the face of a united opposition. The CPI(M)s electoral fortunes have agged in West Bengal, but appreciably good governance in the small north-eastern state, which has delivered healthy developmental and livelihood indices and brought peace during the period of the LF s rule since 1993, ensured that the left won 50 of the assemblys 60 seats, improving its tally by one seat. The LF also managed to retain more than half the vote share, just as it did in the last assembly elections in 2008. The united opposition of the Congress and the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) managed only 10 seats, with 36.5% and 7.6% of the votes respectively. Indeed, the INPT drew a blank and thus the united opposition was unable to make a dent in the ruling LF s popularity. Incumbent Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has been rightly credited for his part in the LF win; his image as a clean and selfless administrator seems to have impressed the electorate as he took ofce for the fourth time since 1998. His partys popularity has much to do with the policies implemented by the LF and its achievements in the state over the years. These include nuanced handling of the ethnic concerns of the tribal population of the state. Indeed, of the 20 seats reserved for tribals, the LF won 19. The percentage of votes cast has usually been very high, but this time it beat all its previous records to register close to 93%. In the course of the election campaign, Manik Sarkar has been careful to emphasise that his governments policies were different from those of the former LF government in West Bengal, which had staked its fortunes on rapid industrialisation, in the bargain losing its popularity. In Tripura, the LF s challenge

would be to meet the aspirations of the people by deftly tackling the issue of development, and it would be wise to focus on creating and improving infrastructure and enhancing productivity in the backward state, without resorting to the blunders committed by its counterpart in West Bengal. In Nagaland, the ruling NPF retained power by substantially increasing its share of the vote and number of seats from 33.6% and 35 respectively in 2008 to 47.6% and 38 now. The Congress Partys share of the vote and number of seats declined drastically from 36.3% and 18 respectively in 2008 to 26% and eight now. The recent progress in the peace process in Nagaland, making way for a negotiated settlement between the separatists and the Indian state (Progress in Nagaland, EPW, 27 October 2012), seems to have provided the NPF with a peace dividend that incumbent Chief Minister Neiphiu Rios party has reaped, this by projecting itself as a votary for a permanent settlement. The state Congress, on the other hand, was noticeably lukewarm about the prospects of peace. Its tactic of populist promises (laptops to students, for example) did not cut ice with the electorate who identied the NPF as the electoral representative of Naga nationalism. The Congress can however console itself with its electoral victory in Meghalaya, overcoming the challenge of a muchdivided opposition. The opposition included P S Sangmas National Peoples Party, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and other smaller parties in an electoral fray, together mirroring the ethnic cleavages in the state. The elections, however, also saw a number of independents winning, who together constituted the second largest share of the vote and number of seats 27.7% and 13 respectively after the Congress Partys 34.78% and 29. Even with the UDP no longer a part of the Congress-led coalition, the Congress Party won 29 seats, its best performance in the state since 1972, and it has formed the government with the support of a few independents. The relative political stability afforded to the Congress should enable the incumbent Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to wield a steadier hand in tackling the difcult economic conditions that Meghalaya faces.

Economic & Political Weekly

EPW

march 16, 2013

vol xlviII no 11