Shillong, March 20 (IANS): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday said people in the northeastern states have started accepting the ideology of the National People's Party (NPP).
Sangma's remarks came after 15 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including two ministers and 12 other sitting legislators, joined the NPP in Arunachal Pradesh.
"We are happy that all these leaders have expressed their faith in the NPP ideology. On behalf of the party I would like to welcome them all to the NPP. This is the beginning of a positive development for the party in Arunachal Pradesh," the NPP national President said.
In a video statement, he expressed hope that more people will join the NPP. "We do expect with more people joining in, the NPP will get good results in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh," he said.
Asked if the NPP could become the only alternative in the northeast, Sangma said: "We have been trying to build the party on that lines. We are getting good response. People have started realising the ideology and are joining in."
Remarking that it was too early to say how things would pan out, Sangma said, "|All I can say is people of northeast have started joining and supporting us."
On chances of his sister Agatha Sangma's victory from the Tura parliamentary constituency, the NPP chief said: "Elections are never easy and no election can be taken for granted. The first rule of election is to ensure that one is never overconfident."
