Joining One North East or joining the National People’s Party? As the General Elections 2029 draw near, the big question is whether the One North East platform will field common candidates across all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the Northeast. Is the NPP planning to have a bigger say for the Northeast in the 2029 General Election? The induction of Daniel Langthasa and Mmhonlumo Kikon into the National People’s Party comes amid the evolving ‘One North East’ initiative. NPP National Working President and convenor of the platform, James P.K. Sangma, said these developments are “part and parcel of the One North East movement,” adding that although elections had temporarily paused efforts to advance the initiative, he remains confident that many more prominent and influential leaders from across the Northeast will come together under a common umbrella in the days ahead. The shift underscores a strategic political realignment in the region, with the NPP sharpening its expansion strategy by embedding the ‘One North East’ doctrine into its broader coalition-building and electoral calculus.
It was in early November 2025 that a coalition of influential regional leaders unveiled an ambitious plan to form a singular political entity under the banner ‘One North East,’ signalling the emergence of a new regional political grammar rooted in collective assertion. The signatories include Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP chief Conrad K. Sangma, TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, former Nagaland minister Mmhonlumo Kikon, and Assam’s Daniel Langthasa, founder of the People’s Party. Together, they envision a reimagined Northeast that transcends state boundaries to forge an indigenous political powerhouse. Following this, a nine-member committee was constituted with NPP Working President James Sangma as its convener to deliberate on the future course of action, including the modalities and structure of the proposed political entity.
Asked about consolidation under the One North East platform, Sangma said, “The One North East platform, it is there as we speak. One North East is taking shape… in unity will lie in our strength.”
On the ideological framework driving the initiative, he said, “The name is not as important as the kind of ideology or the thought behind it is… I think it’s about action.”
On Daniel Langthasa joining the NPP, Sangma said, “Yes, you are absolutely right, he has joined the NPP… it’s the thought that matters.”
While speaking to media persons in Shillong, he underscored a growing convergence among regional actors around the imperative of unity to counter long-standing political fragmentation.
On electoral strategy and alliance dynamics, he said, “Elections are a very, very different ball game altogether. I don’t want to confuse the two, but I think that we always feel that any kind of movement in terms of alignments or any kind of talks that we have with our other political leaders and parties must rest on mutual respect and understanding. So, those kinds of things are something that can be worked out going forward.”
Reflecting on the party’s recent electoral engagements in Assam, he said, “Yeah, the campaigning was extremely satisfying and although there were certain incidents of violence, which have been very unfortunate, especially in Haflong, I think overall, if you look at the way the response has been, we are very confident that the NPP will be performing in all the three seats that we have contested,” indicating guarded optimism as the party recalibrates its electoral positioning in a competitive landscape.
2029 in focus: Will ‘One North East’ field common candidates across all 25 Lok Sabha seats?
