Election Results 2023: BJP+ touches magic figures in Tripura; NPP nears majority in Meghalaya

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (NDPP-BJP) alliance gained a giant lead in the Nagaland assembly election, the Election Commission of India said as votes were being counted on Thursday in three northeastern states. In Tripura, the BJP was leading 31 seats, reaching halfway mark in the 60-member assembly and in Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma's NPP is inching towards the majority as predicted in most exit polls.

Top updates on Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland election results 2023:

Tripura: Tipra Motha, a regional party floated by Pradoyt Kishore Manikya Debbarma, the scion of the erstwhile royal family, is set to play a key role in the formation of the next government in Tripura. As the counting progressed, Tipra Motha was leading in 10 assembly constituencies out of 20 reserved for Scheduled Tribe categories.

The opposition Left-Congress combine is leading in 16 seats. Initial trends indicate that Tipra Motha is set to substantially eat into the BJP's vote share in the state's tribal belts.

> Meghalaya: The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya was leading in 27 seats, while the UDP was ahead in six. Sniawbhalang Dhar was the NPP's first candidate to win a seat for the party beating Congress's Emlang Laloo by a margin of 2,123 votes from Nartiang. The BJP and the Congress were leading in five seats each, while the Trinamool Congress was ahead in five and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) in four seats. Chief minister Conrad K Sangma was leading in the South Tura seat with a margin of merely 44 votes over his nearest rival Bernard N Marak of the BJP.

Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma of the TMC was leading from the Songsak seat by 457 votes over NPP's ND Shira. Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh was trailing behind Batskhem Ryntathiang of the Congress by 54 votes in Mairang constituency.

> Nagaland: The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance is leading in 34 seats in the Nagaland assembly election. Counting of votes for the 59 assembly seats started at 8am with postal ballots followed by EVMs. The NDPP and BJP fought the election on a 40:20 seat-sharing agreement. NDPP supremo and Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio was leading by over 6,394 votes against his nearest Indian National Congress party rival Seyievilie Sachu, it said. Deputy chief Minister and BJP nominee Y Patton was leading by 110 votes in Tyui seat in Wokha.

BJP's PB Chang won Tuensang Sadar-I seat beating NCP's Toyang Chand by 5,644 votes. Two of the four women candidates Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the NDPP were also leading in Dimapur-III and Western Angami seats. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) was leading in three seats while the LJP (Ram Vilas) was leading in two seats. The NCP was ahead in five seats and Independent nominees are leading in two seats.