Union Ministers, former Chief Minister compete in Northeast in first phase of election
Among the contenders, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stands as a formidable force, vying for the Arunachal West seat.
The BJP on Saturday appointed Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju as incharge of party affairs in Nagaland and Assam Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Tripura.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah appointed both to the party posts in view of the two assembly elections next year, a party statement said.
Elections in Tripura and Nagaland were held in February 2013 and the tenure of current assemblies end in March 2018.
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Sarma, a Congress rebel who joined the BJP in August 2016, is convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), an alliance of regional parties.
Tripura is governed by the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist since 1993, while Nagaland is governed by the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland that includes the BJP.
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