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Tripura chief minister Manik Saha on May 13 said the northeastern states are witnessing coordinated development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while accusing previous Congress-led governments of neglecting the region for decades.

Speaking after returning from the swearing-in ceremony in Assam, Saha said the Centre’s focus on the Northeast had changed significantly after 2014 through initiatives such as the Act East Policy and the strengthening of the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

Referring to Modi’s description of the region as “Ashta Lakshmi”, Saha said the Northeast was now being viewed as a key driver of India’s economic growth rather than a peripheral region.

“If the GDP of the North East increases, India’s GDP will also increase,” he said, adding that all eight northeastern states were now “progressing together” with a shared development vision.

The Tripura chief minister also credited former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for laying the groundwork through the “Look East” policy, which he said was later transformed into the “Act East” policy by the Modi government.

Saha alleged that before 2014, the Northeast had largely remained neglected under Congress rule. “Only the Vajpayee government worked sincerely for the North East,” he said.

Highlighting infrastructure and economic expansion in the region, Saha claimed that rapid development had strengthened public support for the BJP-led NDA alliance across northeastern states.

“Development is taking place in full swing, and because of this, the BJP-led NDA government is continuously winning elections as people have kept their faith in us,” he added.