NEW DELHI, April 27 - Alarmed at the growing influence of BJP, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is likely to tour the Northeastern states next month in a fresh initiative to checkmate the saffron party.
Gandhi�s decision to tour the region was conveyed at a meeting of the North East Congress Coordination Committee (NECCC) meeting held here this afternoon.
The meeting, attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, who is also convenor of the Forum, was also joined by Assam Congress president Ripun Bora and Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia, among others, while former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi skipped it.
According to sources, Gandhi asked the participants to explain how the BJP could gain so much ground in the Northeast in such a short time. The BJP has snatched Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur from the Congress, while Nagaland is already an NDA bastion now.
�He wanted our opinion as to how BJP became so powerful in the Northeast,� a participant told this newspaper.
With Meghalaya is going to polls next in the Northeast, the Congress is anxious about BJP�s march, as the saffron party has already started making inroads into the Christian-majority state. Like the NECCC, the BJP, too, has formed the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) with State Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as its convenor.
Rahul informed the participants that he intends to tour the region for three to four days and interact with party workers at the ground level.
Sources said the next meeting of the NECCC is scheduled to be held at Shillong towards the end of May.
