BJP forms anti-Congress block in Northeast with Himanta Biswa Sarma as convenor

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 24 May announced the formation of a new platform named North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) for the development of all the North-Eastern states.

Newly elected minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a former Congressman, has been appointed as the convenor of the alliance.

The meeting was chaired by BJP President Amit Shah, just hours after Sarbananda Sonowal was sworn-in as the 14th Chief Minister of Assam.

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal attended the meet along with his Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim counterparts Kalikho Pul, T R Zeliang and P K Chamling respectively. BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav was also present at the meet.

"This alliance will be called North East Democratic Alliance. I congratulate Shri @himantabiswa on being declared as Convenor of NEDA," Shah later tweeted.

"Main objective of the NEDA will be all-round development of North East and better co-ordination among the states and central govt," he said in another tweet.

"CM of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim proposed to join an alliance of non-congress parties in N.East," he further said.

Sarma, a former Tarun Gogoi aide who quit Congress last year and was a key strategist in BJP's campaign, also took oath today as minister today.

-With PTI inputs