First political conclave of NEDA tomorrow, Amit Shah to attend

The first political conclave of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a platform of BJP and its nine regional alliance parties of the North East, will be held here on Wednesday with BJP national president Amit Shah attending the meet.

The conclave will also be attended by chief ministers of Assam, Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, besides leaders of other political parties, NEDA convener and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters here on Tuesday.

"This will be the first political conclave of NEDA since its formation in May this year. The conclave will come out with a Guwahati Declaration focusing on three issues ranging from local to national to international importance," Sarma said.

"The conclave has three important objectives. One will be expansion of the base of BJP and its NE allies to make a Congress-free region at the local or regional level," he said.

"Secondly, at the national level, NEDA will work to put in sync NE's growth with the national growth and how NE MPs can work together towards that end and strengthen it as the region has an important role to play in the development of the country," Sarma said.

"At the international level, NEDA will focus on NE's role in the Act East Policy taking forward the region's strategic advantage," the minister said.

Former Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, Meghalaya's ex-CM Donkupar Roy, Meghalaya MP Conrad Sangma, BJP's alliance partners — Bodoland People's Party chief Hagrama Mohilary, Asom Gana Parishad president Atul Bora and Ganashakti Party head Ronuj Pegu are also scheduled to attend the meeting, he added.