Northeast parties to join hands for single political entity

Leaders from four different parties of the northeast, including Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party president Conrad Sangma, on Tuesday announced that they would form a single political entity to raise issues of the region.

Pradyot Manikya of TIPRA Motha, Daniel Langthasa from People's Party, Assam, and BJP spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon were among the signatories of a joint statement that announced the decision.

Mizoram's Zoram People's Movement, that governs the state, Nagaland's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, and Asom Gana Parishad, the BJP's junior partner in Assam, are not part of the proposed political entity.

"We, leaders from different states of the North East, have come together today to make a collective and historic announcement, i.e., the coming together of various voices of our region to form a united singular political entity that truly represents the aspirations of our people," the leaders' statement said.

A committee has been formed to deliberate on the future course of action, including the modalities and structure of the proposed political entity, it said.