2017 Manipur Assembly Election Results - Small Parties Hold The Key To Government Formation Saturday March 11,2017

The National People's Party (NPP), a regional party founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma will get to play king maker after the Congress and the BJP failed to get a majority in the Manipur assembly elections, results of which were announced yesterday. Largest party, the Congress, has 28 seats, three short of the 31 needed to form government in the state. The BJP has 21 and has ten short, but has made it clear it will give getting allies on board a shot.

The NNP's Conrad Sangma told NDTV today that the party's new legislators will decide by Sunday evening who they will support. "We have fought the election alone, so we can take decision alone. Let us not discuss here, as we said let our meeting get over," he said, adding with a smile, "this is a not the Congress".

The NNP has won 4 seats in the assembly elections -- is already part of the North East Democratic Alliance or NEDA -- a front organization of anti-Congress parties stitched together by BJP chief Amit Shah after the party's victory in the Assam assembly elections last year.  So is the Naga People's Front, which won another four seats. The party, which has been livid over the Congress government's decision to carve out seven new districts -- which it says compromises the tribal lands and identity of the Nagas -- has indicated that it will support a non-Congress government.

Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, which won one seat in Manipur, is already an ally of the BJP. Mr Paswan has said his party will support the BJP in Manipur. The seat that hangs in balance has been won by an Independent.

The Congress' Okram Ibobi Singh has been Manipur's Chief Minister for 15 years straight. This time the BJP challenged him in its bid to win another state in the north east and inducted and fielded top rebels of the Congress.

On Saturday March 11,2017 , results were announced for elections in five states. The BJP has won Uttar Pradesh by a landslide and has also swept the hill state of Uttarakhand. It is the second largest party in both Manipur and Goa, but party chief Amit Shah made it clear in his victory speech that the BJP will attempt to form government in both states