Sangma briefs Modi on political situation in northeast

Shillong, May 12 (IANS) National People's Party supremo P.A. Sangma Monday met BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Gujarat and apprised him of the political situation and economic problems in the northeastern states.

"I have briefed him on the political situation in our northeastern states and on the need to improve the economic development in our region to ensure a peaceful atmosphere," Sangma told IANS by phone from Gandhinagar.

"During my meeting with Modi I have stressed on the need to further improve bilateral relations with Bangladesh or Myanmar to boost economic and trade investment in the region," the former Lok Sabha speaker said.

Exuding confidence of winning from the Tura parliamentary constituency in western Meghalaya, Sangma said he expected that National Democratic Alliance would garner more seats in the northeast as people in the region are fed up with Congress' failures to ensure development.

Sangma's daughter Agatha K Sangma, the youngest parliamentarian in the current Lok Sabha representing Tura constituency, quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and did not contest Lok Sabha election to make room for her father who had earlier represented the constituency.

"Like in the country, our people in the region want a change of government at New Delhi for economic development and stability. Therefore, I am expecting that NDA will be ahead of the UPA in the northeast," he said.

Of the 25 seats in the region (14 in Assam, two each in Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and one each in Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim), Congress secured 13 in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2009 while the Bharatiya Janata Party got four seats.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) won Tripura's two seats, while one seat each was bagged by regional parties Asom Gana Parishad, All India United Democratic Front and Bodo People's Front in Assam and the Naga People's Front and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) secured the lone parliamentary seats from Nagaland and Sikkim respectively.

Congress is in power in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya while the CPI-M-led Left Front rules Tripura. The NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland is ruling in Nagaland and the SDF in Sikkim.

Sangma reiterated Modi has "all the qualities of a prime minister", and said Gujarat chief minister will become prime minister provided the NDA has the numbers in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

"I am sure he will be the next prime minister, as he also has all the qualities of a prime minister," he told journalists here earlier.

Asked if he would be inducted as a minister in the NDA-led ministry if it forms the government, Sangma said:" It is the prerogative of the prime minister and I am ready to serve the country in every position."