Spotlight on North East Democratic Alliance after border clashes and CMs' Twitter war

The heightened border conflict between Assam and Mizoram has highlighted the limits of the North East Democratic Alliance (Neda) formed with much fanfare as a platform of non-Congress parties of the region in 2016. After Monday's border clash, there is pressure on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga to quit Neda. Sarma is Neda's convenor, a post he has held since 2016. One of the prime declared agenda of Neda is to solve interstate border disputes. The question is whether Sarma will be seen as a fair arbiter after he became the CM of Assam, which has border disputes with other northeast states.

During a Neda meeting and plenary session of the North Eastern Council, Union home minister Amit Shah had said that interstate border disputes must be settled before the nation celebrates 75 years of Independence. After Monday's flare-up, Mahila Congress chief and former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev, however, questioned Neda's efficacy in solving border disputes. "Neda is ineffective in dealing with this crisis. What solution did the meeting between Union home minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of Assam and Mizoram yield? It is clear that Neda is an association for winning elections," she said. "While the border was burning, the two chief ministers were busy attacking each other on twitter," said Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.

Zoramthanga too has come under pressure. Trying to walk a tight rope on the border dispute, Mizoram BJP chief Vanlalhmuaka said his party had reminded Zoramthanga of the importance of using Neda to solve the border dispute with Assam. "What is the use of being in Neda if the border dispute with Assam and Tripura are not resolved? We recently wrote to Mizoram chief minister to resolve the border issue."