SHILLONG/AGARTALA/KOHIMA:Jan 12,2013

Exuding confidence that the Congress will bounce back to power in Meghalaya, which goes to the polls on February 23 next, chief minister Mukul Sangma said, "I am a relaxed man."

Sangma, who heads a Congress-led coalition government, said his party, which has a strength of 28 legislators in the present 60-member assembly, will improve its tally this time.

Meanwhile, deputy chief minister and working president of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Bindo Mathew Lanong, too exuded confidence that the regional party, which is the largest partner in the ruling coalition, will also increase its strength.

The PA Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP) is now gearing up for a "big role", especially in the Garo Hills. The NPP, which was a Manipur-based regional party, has been floated at the national level by Sangma.

In a major political upheaval, 12 NCP MLAs of the opposition, including PA Sangma's sons Conrad and James, joined the NPP last year. This came after the NCP refused to back PA Sangma in his presidential race.

Soon after the Election Commission of India (EC) announced that the assembly election in Tripura will be held on Feb 14 next, CPI-M spokesperson Goutam Das said the party was happy as the EC had considered the demand of the Left Front to hold elections on time.

Das, however, reiterated the demand of maintaining a peaceful environment in the state, besides deployment of adequate security and intensifying vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border so that no anti-Indian element can enter Tripura.

"We have explained in detail the situation and unwanted move of the opposition to defer the election. The EC did not fall into the obnoxious design of the opposition and as a result, board exams in our state will not be affected," Das said.

The president of the opposition Congress, Sudip Roy Barman, said the EC had taken adequate measure to rectify the errors in the electoral roll and hold peaceful elections. "We are ready for polls," Roy Barman stated, adding the Congress never wanted to defer the election, but the ruling CPI-M tried to mislead the voters.

"We believe the EC's corrective measures will help bring a change in Tripura this time," he added.

The ruling Left Front's strength in the 60-member Tripura assembly is 49. The opposition Congress has 10 MLAs, while its ally Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) has one member. Nagaland was, meanwhile, taken by surprise at the announcement of election dates in the state. The two main parties of Nagaland, Naga People's Front (NPF) and Congress, took a cautious stand and said they cannot go against the wishes of EC. The Nagas have been demanding a solution to the ongoing Naga peace talks before the assembly elections. NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu said they have no other option than to prepare for the polls now. Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president SI Jamir said he has summoned an election committee meeting of the party on Monday in Dimapur.

In the 60-member Nagaland assembly, the NPF has 35 members while the opposition Congress' strength is 18. Of the seven independent MLAs, six are supporting the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government.