‘We’re not against national parties but pro-indigenous': Langthasa on new NE party

Guwahati, Nov 4: The Northeast’s political landscape is witnessing a major churn with the formation of a new, united regional front that aims to give the region a stronger, collective voice in national politics.

The yet-to-be-named political entity, which brings together several key regional forces, plans to contest future elections independently of both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

Confirming the development to The Assam Tribune, People’s Party chief Daniel Langthasa said that a nine-member committee, headed by former Meghalaya Health Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) leader James Sangma, has been constituted to decide on the new party’s flag, symbol and organisational framework within the next 45 days.

“That’s the reason we have formed the nine-member panel. It will discuss the modalities, the constitution and the symbol of the new political party,” Langthasa said.

He, however, admitted that the upcoming Assam Assembly elections will be “a little complicated” for the newly formed bloc, given the short time for preparations.

“There isn’t much time left, but we will still field some contestants. The third front may not win in Assam polls on its own, but why wait? We’ll take part in the process,” he said, adding that formalities such as registration and verification would take time.

According to Langthasa, the formation of the new political entity was not a sudden move. Discussions on creating a common regional platform had been underway for more than a year.

The idea, initially floated by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma in 2024, gained momentum in June this year when four leaders, including Langthasa and former BJP spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon, decided to move forward with it.

“Since last year, Conrad and Pradyot had been discussing the idea and in June, we all agreed it was time to give it a go,” Langthasa said.

He added that all members agreed to adopt a written constitution for the new party. “It wouldn’t be fair for the heads of all the parties involved to decide on the flag and symbol, so we agreed to form a neutral panel,” he said, clarifying that “this is not an alliance but a new regional party” altogether.

The political development is being closely watched because two of the parties involved, namely Conrad Sangma’s NPP and Pradyot Debbarma’s Tipra Motha Party (TMP), are currently part of the NDA and its northeastern offshoot, the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

Asked if differences within NEDA had prompted the move, Langthasa was cautious but did not dismiss the speculation.

“It’s not my place to comment since the People’s Party is not part of NEDA. But if everything was fine within NEDA, why would these leaders agree to form another front?” he said.

Langthasa maintained that the new front does not seek confrontation with national parties but aims to strengthen the region’s political autonomy.

“We won’t call ourselves anti-national parties, but pro-indigenous. The people of the Northeast have been repeatedly let down by national parties. The way the Manipur crisis was handled is a glaring example,” he said.

He added that the youth response to the announcement has been overwhelming. “People across the Northeast, including Assam, are fed up with both the BJP and the Congress. Since the word went out, I’ve received massive support from the youth; not just in Dima Hasao but from abroad as well. The youth today are politically aware and opinionated. Call it the ‘Gen Z effect’ if you may, but they want to be heard,” Langthasa said.

The People’s Party leader also confirmed that the new front is in touch with several smaller regional outfits, including those in Mizoram and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

“It’s too early to name them, but many are aware of this development and are in talks with us. We don’t want to rush things,” he said.

Langthasa reiterated that the new front’s goal is to represent the voices, rights, and aspirations of the people of the Northeast; a region that, he believes, has long been overlooked in the larger national discourse.

“We are not here to oppose anyone. We are here to represent our people, their hopes and their identity,” he said.

With preparations underway and expectations rising, the Northeast’s new regional front could well emerge as a defining political experiment; one that seeks to transform the region from a collection of states into a unified political force.